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
And here’s the story, courtesy of a nudge from Snell, who by sheer serendipity soon after that initial email was offered two seats immediately behind the delightful source of a noise that gratifies some and grates others.
—Kansas City Star, 2 July 2025
The Baseball Hall of Fame award recipient and Dodger ambassador called himself a proud immigrant, saying he was gratified that the team pledged to donate $1 million for immigrant families impacted by raids.
—Helen Jeong, NBC news, 25 June 2025
Maureen was not surprised—but she was gratified—that Lilian had agreed.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
Kennedy's son, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said he was gratified to see the documents' release.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for gratify
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Kansas City Star, 2 July 2025
The Baseball Hall of Fame award recipient and Dodger ambassador called himself a proud immigrant, saying he was gratified that the team pledged to donate $1 million for immigrant families impacted by raids.
—Helen Jeong, NBC news, 25 June 2025
Maureen was not surprised—but she was gratified—that Lilian had agreed.
—Yiyun Li, New Yorker, 15 June 2025
Kennedy's son, U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., said he was gratified to see the documents' release.
—Arkansas Online, 13 June 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 18 Jul. 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
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