Word: ingratiate (verb)

Associations

The word "ingratiate" means to try to make someone like you by doing things to please them. It often has a slightly negative feeling because it can sound like you are trying too hard or being a bit fake.

• She tried to ingratiate herself with the new manager by always agreeing with his ideas. Here, she is trying to get the manager’s favor.
• Politicians sometimes ingratiate themselves with voters by promising popular things. This means they want to be liked or supported.
• He ingratiated himself to his teachers by helping them with extra tasks. This shows he is trying to be liked by being helpful.

A well-known synonym is "flatter." The difference is that "flatter" means to praise someone, often insincerely, while "ingratiate" means to try to get someone’s approval by actions or words, not just praise.

Substitution

You can replace "ingratiate" with:

• "win over" (more neutral, means to get someone's support or friendship)
• "court favor" (formal, means to try to gain approval)
• "butter up" (informal, means to flatter someone to get something)

Each substitution changes the tone slightly. "Butter up" sounds more casual and a little silly, while "court favor" sounds more serious and formal.

Deconstruction

The word "ingratiate" comes from Latin:

• Prefix: "in-" means "in" or "into"
• Root: "gratia" means "grace" or "favor"
• Suffix: "-ate" turns it into a verb

So, "ingratiate" literally means "to put oneself into favor" or "to make oneself pleasing."

Inquiry

• Can you think of a time when someone tried to ingratiate themselves with you? How did you feel?
• Is ingratiating always a bad thing, or can it sometimes be helpful?
• How is ingratiating different from simply being kind or friendly?