gratify
verb /ˈɡrætɪfaɪ/
/ˈɡrætɪfaɪ/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they gratify | /ˈɡrætɪfaɪ/ /ˈɡrætɪfaɪ/ |
he / she / it gratifies | /ˈɡrætɪfaɪz/ /ˈɡrætɪfaɪz/ |
past simple gratified | /ˈɡrætɪfaɪd/ /ˈɡrætɪfaɪd/ |
past participle gratified | /ˈɡrætɪfaɪd/ /ˈɡrætɪfaɪd/ |
-ing form gratifying | /ˈɡrætɪfaɪɪŋ/ /ˈɡrætɪfaɪɪŋ/ |
- (formal) to please or satisfy somebody
- it gratifies somebody to do something It gratified him to think that it was all his work.
- gratify somebody I was gratified by their invitation.
- gratify something (formal) to satisfy a wish, need, etc.
- He only gave his consent in order to gratify her wishes.
Word Originlate Middle English (in the sense ‘make pleasing’): from French gratifier or Latin gratificari ‘give or do as a favour’, from gratus ‘pleasing, thankful’.