gratify
verb
grat·i·fy
ˈgra-tə-ˌfī 
gratified; gratifying
1
: to be a source of or give pleasure or satisfaction to
it gratified him to have his wife wear jewels—
Willa Cather
Willa Cather3
archaic
: remunerate, reward
Did you know?
A gratifying experience is quietly pleasing or satisfying. But gratifying an impulse means giving in to it, which isn't always such a good idea, and "instant gratification" of every desire will result in a life based on junk food and worse. Truly gratifying experiences and accomplishments usually are the result of time and effort.
Examples of gratify in a Sentence
A guilty verdict would gratify the victim's relatives.
He's only concerned with gratifying his own desires.
Recent Examples on the Web
She was especially gratified while working in Pisgah, the first national forest created from private lands purchased under the Weeks Act, which was signed in 1911, to protect watersheds and coördinate fire protection in the eastern United States.
—Peter Slevin, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
The production of such a fun and poignant piece is gratifying.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
And the success of finishing his college career with a 10-win season — and having 10 total combine invites — after the Hurricanes took their lumps for much of his college career was gratifying.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2025
Murakami said he was gratified to see the collection has retained its appeal.
—Joelle Diderich, WWD, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratify
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.
Peter Slevin, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2025
The production of such a fun and poignant piece is gratifying.
—David John Chávez, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025
And the success of finishing his college career with a 10-win season — and having 10 total combine invites — after the Hurricanes took their lumps for much of his college career was gratifying.
—David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 28 Feb. 2025
Murakami said he was gratified to see the collection has retained its appeal.
—Joelle Diderich, WWD, 27 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratify
Cite this Entry
“Gratify.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gratify. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
gratify
verb
grat·i·fy
ˈgrat-ə-ˌfī
gratified; gratifying
1
: to give or be a source of pleasure or satisfaction to
2
: to grant a favor to : indulge
gratification
noun
ˌgrat-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share