graceful

adjective

GRAYS-fuul/ˈɡɹeɪsfʊl/

3 meanings of graceful

1
adjective
Moving, shaped, or balanced in a smooth, pleasing way.
Like a cat that jumps and lands without making a sound.
The dancer made a graceful leap across the stage.
Swans look so graceful when they glide across the water.
Similarelegant
Oppositeclumsy, awkward
Note
2
adjective
Kind and calm when you win or lose, without bragging or complaining.
Like a good loser who shakes hands and smiles after the game.
She was graceful in defeat and congratulated the winner.
He stayed graceful even when other people were rude to him.
Similargracious, dignified, magnanimous, sportsmanlike
Oppositeungracious, petty
Note
3
adjective
Happening slowly and smoothly, without sudden problems or breakdown.
Like a car slowing to a gentle stop instead of crashing.
The app shuts down in a graceful way if it loses its connection.
Engineers designed a graceful slowdown so nothing breaks all at once.
Similarsmooth, orderly, seamless
Oppositeabrupt
Note

Practice

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Origin

From the word grace plus -ful.