Ingratiation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The process of attempting to gain someone's favor by using flattery or pleasing behaviors typically involves charm and tactful communication to win approval
2. Engaging in actions designed to make oneself favorable to others often includes flattering remarks and considerate gestures aimed at earning trust
3. The act of trying to make oneself more likable to others generally involves using flattery or friendly behavior to achieve greater acceptance and approval

Etymology: The verb "ingratiate" was built from the Latin phrase "in gratiam," meaning "into favor," so to ingratiate yourself is literally to work your way into someone's good graces. The noun "ingratiation" adds the suffix "-ion," which turns the action of doing that into a thing you can name. The word looks like a relative of "ingrate," but the resemblance is misleading. "Ingrate," meaning an ungrateful person, comes from Latin "ingratus," where "in-" is a negative prefix meaning "not." In "ingratiate," the "in-" points the other way, toward a goal. Both words share the root "gratus," meaning "pleasing," which also gave English "grace" and "gratitude," so the two words are cousins that took opposite turns.

Synonyms: flattery, fawning, brown-nosing

Antonyms: disfavor, alienation