Library / English Dictionary

GRACE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A disposition to kindness and compassion

Example:

the victor's grace in treating the vanquished

Synonyms:

good will; goodwill; grace

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

good nature (a cheerful, obliging disposition)

Derivation:

gracious (characterized by kindness and warm courtesy especially of a king to his subjects)

Sense 2

Meaning:

(Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God

Example:

there but for the grace of God go I

Synonyms:

free grace; grace; grace of God

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

beneficence (the quality of being kind or helpful or generous)

Domain category:

Christian theology (the teachings of Christian churches)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A sense of propriety and consideration for others

Example:

a place where the company of others must be accepted with good grace

Synonyms:

grace; seemliness

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

correctitude; properness; propriety (correct or appropriate behavior)

Derivation:

gracious (exhibiting courtesy and politeness)

Sense 4

Meaning:

Elegance and beauty of movement or expression

Example:

a beautiful figure which she used in subtle movements of unparalleled grace

Synonyms:

grace; gracility

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

gracefulness (beautiful carriage)

Derivation:

grace (make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.)

grace (be beautiful to look at)

gracious (characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A short prayer of thanks before a meal

Example:

their youngest son said grace

Synonyms:

blessing; grace; thanksgiving

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

orison; petition; prayer (reverent petition to a deity)

Sense 6

Meaning:

(Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favorite subject for sculptors

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Grace" is a kind of...):

Greek deity (a deity worshipped by the ancient Greeks)

Domain category:

Greek mythology (the mythology of the ancient Greeks)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Grace"):

Aglaia; Euphrosyne; Thalia ((Greek mythology) one of the three Graces)

Sense 7

Meaning:

(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence

Example:

the Virgin lived in a state of grace

Synonyms:

grace; saving grace; state of grace

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

state (the way something is with respect to its main attributes)

Domain category:

Christian theology (the teachings of Christian churches)

Sense 8

Meaning:

A period of time past the deadline for fulfilling an obligation during which a penalty that would be imposed for being late is waived, especially an extended period granted as a special favor

Example:

The payment had originally been due on April 1 but we had a grace period which expired in June.

Synonyms:

grace; grace period

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

period; period of time; time period (an amount of time)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.

Example:

beautify yourself for the special day

Synonyms:

adorn; beautify; decorate; embellish; grace; ornament

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Hypernyms (to "grace" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Verb group:

ornament (be an ornament to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "grace"):

stucco (decorate with stucco work)

redecorate (redo the decoration of an apartment or house)

panel (decorate with panels)

bejewel; jewel (adorn or decorate with precious stones)

filet; fillet (decorate with a lace of geometric designs)

scallop (decorate an edge with scallops)

bedizen (decorate tastelessly)

dress ship (decorate a ship with flags)

dress; garnish; trim (decorate (food), as with parsley or other ornamental foods)

trim (decorate, as with ornaments)

bedeck; bedight; deck (decorate)

festoon (decorate with strings of flowers)

enamel (coat, inlay, or surface with enamel)

inlay (decorate the surface of by inserting wood, stone, and metal)

lacquer (coat with lacquer)

begild; engild; gild (decorate with, or as if with, gold leaf or liquid gold)

illuminate (add embellishments and paintings to (medieval manuscripts))

blazon; emblazon (decorate with heraldic arms)

color; colour; emblazon (decorate with colors)

fringe (adorn with a fringe)

fret (decorate with an interlaced design)

landscape (embellish with plants)

wreathe (decorate or deck with wreaths)

beset; encrust; incrust (decorate or cover lavishly (as with gems))

braid (decorate with braids or ribbons)

broider; embroider (decorate with needlework)

stick (cover and decorate with objects that pierce the surface)

illustrate (supply with illustrations)

garland (adorn with bands of flowers or leaves)

fledge; flight (decorate with feathers)

bespangle; spangle (decorate with spangles)

foliate (decorate with leaves)

flag (decorate with flags)

bard; barde; caparison; dress up (put a caparison on)

bead (decorate by sewing beads onto)

pipe (trim with piping)

applique (sew on as a decoration)

gild the lily; paint the lily (adorn unnecessarily (something that is already beautiful))

vermiculate (decorate with wavy or winding lines)

smock (embellish by sewing in straight lines crossing each other diagonally)

hang (decorate or furnish with something suspended)

prank (dress or decorate showily or gaudily)

tinsel (adorn with tinsel)

tart up (decorate in a cheap and flashy way)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They grace the halls with holly

Derivation:

grace (elegance and beauty of movement or expression)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be beautiful to look at

Example:

Flowers adorned the tables everywhere

Synonyms:

adorn; beautify; deck; decorate; embellish; grace

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Hypernyms (to "grace" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "grace"):

ornament (be an ornament to)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sentence example:

Holly flowers grace the halls

Derivation:

grace (elegance and beauty of movement or expression)

Credits

 Context examples: 

I never hear of such a case as this that I do not think of Baxter’s words, and say, ‘There, but for the grace of God, goes Sherlock Holmes.’

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

If they were at home to grace the ball, a ball you would have this very Christmas.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

This was too loud a call for a compliment to be passed by, and Mr. Weston, with a very good grace, immediately exclaimed, My dear madam!

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

Edward Ferrars was not recommended to their good opinion by any peculiar graces of person or address.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

It was monstrous impolite of him, but some people cannot lose with grace.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

This sort of mysteriousness, which is always so becoming in a hero, threw a fresh grace in Catherine's imagination around his person and manners, and increased her anxiety to know more of him.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

He yielded to the master's children with an ill but honest grace, and endured their fooling as one would endure a painful operation.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

That new moon will fall in the imaginative sign of Pisces, indicating that the project you are about to start will need a touch of poetry, lyricism, and grace.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

However, this was a peculiar grace, not allowed to any but persons of the highest rank, when they desire an admittance.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Mr. Wickham's happiness and her own were perforce delayed a little longer, and Mr. Collins's proposal accepted with as good a grace as she could.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)