GRACE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does Grace mean? 

• GRACE (noun)
  The noun GRACE has 8 senses:

1. (Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence

2. elegance and beauty of movement or expression

3. a sense of propriety and consideration for others

4. a disposition to kindness and compassion

5. a period of time past the deadline for fulfilling an obligation during which a penalty that would be imposed for being late is waived, especially an extended period granted as a special favor

6. (Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favorite subject for sculptors

7. a short prayer of thanks before a meal

8. (Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God

  Familiarity information: GRACE used as a noun is common.

• GRACE (verb)
  The verb GRACE has 2 senses:

1. make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.

2. be beautiful to look at

  Familiarity information: GRACE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GRACE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

(Christian theology) a state of sanctification by God; the state of one who is under such divine influence

Classified under:

Nouns denoting stable states of affairs

Synonyms:

grace; saving grace; state of grace

Context example:

the Virgin lived in a state of grace

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

state (the way something is with respect to its main attributes)

Domain category:

Christian theology (the teachings of Christian churches)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Elegance and beauty of movement or expression

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

grace; gracility

Context example:

a beautiful figure which she used in subtle movements of unparalleled grace

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

gracefulness (beautiful carriage)

Derivation:

grace (make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.)

grace (be beautiful to look at)

gracious (characterized by charm, good taste, and generosity of spirit)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A sense of propriety and consideration for others

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

grace; seemliness

Context example:

a place where the company of others must be accepted with good grace

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

correctitude; properness; propriety (correct or appropriate behavior)

Derivation:

gracious (exhibiting courtesy and politeness)

Sense 4

Meaning:

A disposition to kindness and compassion

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

good will; goodwill; grace

Context example:

the victor's grace in treating the vanquished

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

good nature (a cheerful, obliging disposition)

Derivation:

gracious (characterized by kindness and warm courtesy especially of a king to his subjects)

Sense 5

Meaning:

A period of time past the deadline for fulfilling an obligation during which a penalty that would be imposed for being late is waived, especially an extended period granted as a special favor

Classified under:

Nouns denoting time and temporal relations

Synonyms:

grace; grace period

Context example:

The payment had originally been due on April 1 but we had a grace period which expired in June.

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

period; period of time; time period (an amount of time)

Sense 6

Meaning:

(Greek mythology) one of three sisters who were the givers of beauty and charm; a favorite subject for sculptors

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Hypernyms ("Grace" is a kind of...):

Greek deity (a deity worshipped by the ancient Greeks)

Domain category:

Greek mythology (the mythology of the ancient Greeks)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Grace"):

Euphrosyne; Aglaia; Thalia ((Greek mythology) one of the three Graces)

Sense 7

Meaning:

A short prayer of thanks before a meal

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

blessing; grace; thanksgiving

Context example:

their youngest son said grace

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

orison; petition; prayer (reverent petition to a deity)

Sense 8

Meaning:

(Christian theology) the free and unmerited favor or beneficence of God

Classified under:

Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects

Synonyms:

free grace; grace; grace of God

Context example:

there but for the grace of God go I

Hypernyms ("grace" is a kind of...):

beneficence (the quality of being kind or helpful or generous)

Domain category:

Christian theology (the teachings of Christian churches)

• GRACE (verb)

Conjugation:

Sense 1

Meaning:

Make more attractive by adding ornament, colour, etc.

Classified under:

Verbs of sewing, baking, painting, performing

Synonyms:

adorn; beautify; decorate; embellish; grace; ornament

Context example:

beautify yourself for the special day

Hypernyms (to "grace" is one way to...):

alter; change; modify (cause to change; make different; cause a transformation)

Verb group:

ornament (be an ornament to)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "grace"):

festoon (decorate with strings of flowers)

tart up (decorate in a cheap and flashy way)

redecorate (redo the decoration of an apartment or house)

panel (decorate with panels)

bejewel; jewel (adorn or decorate with precious stones)

filet; fillet (decorate with a lace of geometric designs)

scallop (decorate an edge with scallops)

bedizen (decorate tastelessly)

dress ship (decorate a ship with flags)

dress; garnish; trim (decorate (food), as with parsley or other ornamental foods)

trim (decorate, as with ornaments)

bedeck; bedight; deck (decorate)

enamel (coat, inlay, or surface with enamel)

inlay (decorate the surface of by inserting wood, stone, and metal)

lacquer (coat with lacquer)

begild; engild; gild (decorate with, or as if with, gold leaf or liquid gold)

illuminate (add embellishments and paintings to (medieval manuscripts))

blazon; emblazon (decorate with heraldic arms)

color; colour; emblazon (decorate with colors)

fringe (adorn with a fringe)

fret (decorate with an interlaced design)

landscape (embellish with plants)

tinsel (adorn with tinsel)

wreathe (decorate or deck with wreaths)

beset; encrust; incrust (decorate or cover lavishly (as with gems))

braid (decorate with braids or ribbons)

broider; embroider (decorate with needlework)

stick (cover and decorate with objects that pierce the surface)

illustrate (supply with illustrations)

garland (adorn with bands of flowers or leaves)

fledge; flight (decorate with feathers)

bespangle; spangle (decorate with spangles)

foliate (decorate with leaves)

flag (decorate with flags)

bard; barde; caparison; dress up (put a caparison on)

bead (decorate by sewing beads onto)

pipe (trim with piping)

applique (sew on as a decoration)

gild the lily; paint the lily (adorn unnecessarily (something that is already beautiful))

vermiculate (decorate with wavy or winding lines)

smock (embellish by sewing in straight lines crossing each other diagonally)

hang (decorate or furnish with something suspended)

prank (dress or decorate showily or gaudily)

stucco (decorate with stucco work)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

Sentence example:

They grace the halls with holly

Derivation:

grace (elegance and beauty of movement or expression)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be beautiful to look at

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

adorn; beautify; deck; decorate; embellish; grace

Context example:

Flowers adorned the tables everywhere

Hypernyms (to "grace" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "grace"):

ornament (be an ornament to)

Sentence frame:

Something ----s something

Sentence example:

Holly flowers grace the halls

Derivation:

grace (elegance and beauty of movement or expression)

 Context examples 

I made a resolution, therefore, to keep it in my own breast; and there it gave her image a new grace.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Laurie's eyes followed her with pleasure, for she neither romped nor sauntered, but danced with spirit and grace, making the delightsome pastime what it should be.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Unlike any one else in the ship’s company, I now found myself with no quarrels on my hands and in the good graces of all.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

She still advanced, however, and with a languorous, voluptuous grace, said:—Come to me, Arthur. Leave these others and come to me. My arms are hungry for you.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

"Mrs. Poole," said she, addressing Grace, "the servants' dinner will soon be ready: will you come down?"

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

So, in his fancy, may he see himself sometimes, gracing the vacant pedestal in Trafalgar Square, and adding one more to the horrors of the London streets.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

His figure was erect and soldierly, and he rode his horse with the careless grace of a man whose life had been spent in the saddle.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I confess that this is entirely new to me, your Grace.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Occasionally he graced his table with a piece of round-steak, or with a soup-bone.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

We took our passage on board a vessel bound for Havre-de-Grace and sailed with a fair wind from the Irish shores.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)