Gratifyingly

Part of speech: adverb

Definitions

1. In a manner that causes pleasure or satisfaction by fulfilling desires or expectations
2. Expressing a feeling of pleasure or contentment due to a positive outcome
3. Done in such a way that it brings approval, joy, or a sense of achievement

Etymology: "Gratifyingly" is an inflected-style adverb built from two parts with a long pedigree. The base, "gratifying," is the present participle of "gratify," which came into English from Latin "gratificari," meaning to do a kindness or show favour, from "gratus," pleasing or thankful. The ending "-ly" is a suffix that turns an adjective into an adverb describing how something is done. That suffix is the older and more surprising piece. It traces back through Proto-Germanic "-līkaz," a word meaning "body" or "form," with the sense of "having the appearance or shape of." In Old English this became "-līċe," and it was the regular way to turn an adjective into an adverb. So "gratifyingly" literally means "in a gratifying bodily form or manner," with a suffix that originally carried the sense of likeness, the same idea that survives in "lifelike" and "godlike."

Synonyms: satisfactorily, pleasingly, rewardingly, delightfully, enjoyably

Antonyms: disappointingly, unpleasantly, dissatisfactorily, unrewardingly, unpleasingly