ingratiate

/ɪnˈɡɹeɪ.ʃi.eɪt/

ingratiate means to bring oneself into favour with someone by flattering or trying to please them; to insinuate oneself; to worm one's way in. It carries an Arena rating of 1758, earned across 17 head-to-head judged battles.

Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, ingratiate ranks #608 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound, #1,540 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #1,912 of 17,138 for Most Incisive Words, #2,304 of 17,163 for Funniest Words.

ingratiate is pronounced /ɪnˈɡɹeɪ.ʃi.eɪt/.

Why “ingratiate” is a great word

To bring oneself into favor with another through deliberate, calculated effort. From the Latin phrase 'in grātiam' ("into favor"), via Italian 'ingraziare' or Medieval Latin 'ingratiatus'; first attested in English in 1622. Unlike "flatter," which denotes the specific tool of insincere praise, or "endear," which suggests a genuine process of becoming cherished, to ingratiate is to orchestrate a broader campaign of personal charm. It is the forced laugh at a superior's joke, the remembered preference for a trivial drink, the subtly mirrored posture in a crucial meeting—a performance of amiability where the currency is the self, spent in the quiet arithmetic of social ascent.

Etymology

First attested in 1622. From Italian ingraziare or Medieval Latin *ingratiatus, from Latin in grātiam (“for the favor of”).

verb

To bring oneself into favour with someone by flattering or trying to please them; to insinuate oneself; to worm one's way in.e.g.“[H]e considered this offering an homage to his merits, and an attempt on the part of the heiress to ingratiate herself into his priceless affections.” — 1849, Currer Bell [pseudonym; Charlotte Brontë], “Mr. Donne’s Exodus”, in Shirley. A Tale. […], volume II, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, page 108:
To recommend; to render easy or agreeable.e.g.“What difficulty would it [the love of Christ] not ingratiate to us?” — c. 1650, Henry Hammond, "Sermon XIII" in Miscellaneous Theological Works of Henry Hammond, Volume 3 (1850 edition), p. 283 (Google preview)

Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).

Words closest in meaning

By meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.

ingratiating 83% match — Which ingratiates; which attempts to bring oneself into the favour of another, often with flattery or insincerity; smarmy; unctuous; oily. vs ingratiate →
ingratiative 79% match — Inclined to ingratiate. vs ingratiate →
flatter 67% match — To compliment someone, often (but not necessarily) insincerely and sometimes to win favour. vs ingratiate →
smoodge 64% match — To act in an ingratiating manner; to fawn. vs ingratiate →
fawning 63% match — Seeking favor by way of flattery; flattering, servile. vs ingratiate →
wheedle 62% match — To cajole or attempt to persuade by flattery. vs ingratiate →
inveigle 61% match — To convert, convince, or win over with flattery or wiles. vs ingratiate →
uningratiating 61% match — Not ingratiating; making no effort to be appealing vs ingratiate →