Word of the Day: INGRATIATE
To charm or kowtow
ingratiate (verb) - to establish oneself in another’s favor or good graces; to flatter [in-grey-shee-eyt]
BREAKDOWN: IN- (in) + GRAT- (favor, thanks) + -IATE (to make or do)
ingratiating means attempting or adopted to flatter oneself into another’s favor; sycophantic
ingratiation is a strategic, deliberate attempt to become more likable or attractive to another
See also: gratifying
“Somewhere around the fifth or seventh grade I figured out that I could ingratiate myself to people by making them laugh. Essentially, I was just trying to make them like me. But after a while it became part of my identity.” —Tina Fey
The GRAT- root is one of the most productive in English, and this entry shows why. Gratitude, grace, grateful, gratify — all built around this core idea of favor and thanks. What strikes me about INGRATIATE is how it captures both the genuine and the calculated. Tina Fey's quote nails that tension: "I was just trying to make them like me." There's nothing wrong with that impulse. But the word carries this shadow of manipulation — the -IATE suffix ("to make or do") feels active, almost strategic. Gratitude flows. Ingratiation is performed.