adjective
graceful
GRAYS-fuul
adjective
1
Moving or shaped in a smooth, elegant way.
"The dancer crossed the stage with graceful, flowing movements."
"The bridge has a graceful arch that curves over the river."
2
Handling a difficult situation with dignity, humility, and good manners.
"She gave a graceful concession speech after losing the election."
"He made a graceful exit rather than causing a scene."
3
Happening smoothly and without sudden disruption.
"The software update was designed for a graceful shutdown of all running programs."
How to Use Graceful
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSmooth, elegant, or dignified — whether describing how a body moves or how a person behaves under pressure.
Common mistake
Don't confuse with gracious, which is about being warm and courteous rather than elegant or dignified.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
graceful movement
graceful exit
graceful degradation
age gracefully
Word Forms
more graceful comparative, most graceful superlative
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The dancer crossed the stage with _____, flowing movements.
Etymology
From Middle English graceful, built from grace plus the suffix -ful ("full of").