ingratiating

[ in-grey-shee-ey-ting ]

adjective

1. charming; agreeable; pleasing.
2. deliberately meant to gain favor:

   an ingratiating manner.

Other Words From

• in·grati·ating·ly adverb
• unin·grati·ating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ingratiating¹

First recorded in 1635–45; ingratiat(e) + -ing ²

Example Sentences

They might have been the most ingratiating band in the world.

From The Daily Beast

But the little blooper that resulted made Fallon seem more ingratiating than ever.

From The Daily Beast

Though David was criticized for tossing softball or ingratiating questions, he, in fact, knew what he was doing.

From The Daily Beast

He could be petty and mean-spirited to subordinates, ingratiating and sycophantic to bosses and celebrities.

From The Daily Beast

Man gets divorced late in life and copes by ingratiating himself with unsuspecting Brooklynites.

From The Daily Beast

But in May, 1819, he was recalled to France, and soon found means of ingratiating himself with the Bourbons.

From Project Gutenberg

I have looked in,” said Aristide, with his ingratiating smile, “to see whether you are ready to go to the Madeleine.

From Project Gutenberg

"Can't bear to stay near a man that mentions so much money in a breath," said Scattergood, with his most ingratiating grin.

From Project Gutenberg

This is a thing I would despise in anybody else; but he is so jolly insidious 240 and ingratiating!

From Project Gutenberg

To Buckingham and Company the idea of governing such a "simpleton," and thus ingratiating themselves with the King, was enticing.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• charming
• disarming
• smarmy