graceful

adjective

grace·​ful ˈgrās-fəl How to pronounce graceful (audio)
: displaying grace (see grace entry 1 sense 3) in form or action : pleasing or attractive in line, proportion, or movement
a graceful dancer
gracefully adverb
gracefulness noun

Examples of graceful in a Sentence

He has become a very graceful dancer. the graceful movements of a ballerina She was a graceful young woman with delicate features. the long, graceful neck of a swan His writing is clear and graceful. There was no graceful way to say no to their offer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
For six seasons, viewers knew Susan Kelechi Watson as Beth Pearson, Randall’s (Sterling K. Brown) intelligent, unflappable and graceful wife. Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Mar. 2025 The result is a flattened film that, in the process of trying to capture the suppression and restraint of something graceful and unspoken, flattens it in the process too. Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 18 Feb. 2025 The Phaeton cuts a more elegant figure than most VWs, thanks to its graceful exterior lines and the use of premium materials throughout the cabin. Raphael Orlove, Robb Report, 27 Feb. 2025 The rendering of martial arts battles is as graceful as DreamWorks Animation’s Kung Fu Panda series. Fred Topel, Deadline, 14 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for graceful

Word History

Etymology

see grace entry 1

First Known Use

1557, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of graceful was in 1557

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Graceful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graceful. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on graceful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!