What does "ingratiate" mean?

To bring oneself into favour with someone by flattering or trying to please them; to insinuate oneself; to worm one's way in.

What is a synonym for "ingratiate"?

Common synonyms include: win over.

Pronounced //ɪnˈɡɹeɪ.ʃi.eɪt//.

//ɪnˈɡɹeɪ.ʃi.eɪt// verb

verb ·Rare ·Advanced level

Verb

1
To bring oneself into favour with someone by flattering or trying to please them; to insinuate oneself; to worm one's way in. reflexive
"[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."
2
gain favor with somebody by deliberate efforts wordnet
3
To recommend; to render easy or agreeable. with-to
"What difficulty would it [the love of Christ] not ingratiate to us?"

"Go over there, meet my grandparents, and ingratiate yourself."

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

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.