# graceful

Pronunciation: say "GRAYS-fuul" /ˈɡɹeɪsfʊl/

## Adjective

1. Showing grace in the way something moves, is shaped, or is proportioned.
   - Simple: Moving, shaped, or balanced in a smooth, pleasing way.
   - _Her graceful movements made the difficult routine look effortless._
   - _The bridge's graceful arch curves over the river with quiet elegance._
2. Generous and gracious in manner, free from arrogance or complaint.
   - Simple: Kind and calm when you win or lose, without bragging or complaining.
   - _Her graceful response to harsh criticism won her many admirers._
   - _The champion remained graceful after the loss, praising each of her rivals._
3. Proceeding gradually and without disruption, especially as a system changes state or fails.
   - Simple: Happening slowly and smoothly, without sudden problems or breakdown.
   - _The network handles failures in a graceful manner, rerouting traffic without downtime._
   - _A graceful degradation lets the website keep working even when some features fail._

## Origin

From Middle English graceful, formed from grace plus the suffix -ful.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/graceful (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).