gracious
kind and warmly courteous
Adjective
- kind and warmly courteous
- tactful
- compassionate
- indulgent
- benignant
- full of grace; graceful; charming; elegant (in appearance, conduct, movement)
- The gracious movements of the figure skaters impressed the judges.
- magnanimous, without arrogance or complaint, benevolently declining to raise controversy or insist on possible prerogatives.
- The actress's gracious acceptance of being named only in the end credits allowed her character's appearance in the episode to remain a surprise.
Origin
From Middle English gracious, from Old French gracieus, from Latin gratiosus, from gratia (“esteem, favor”). See grace. Displaced native Old English hold (“gracious”). Doublet of gracioso and grazioso.
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Interjection
- Expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, or frustration.
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Derived
good gracious goodness gracious goodness gracious me gracious me oh my goodness gracious