gracefully
gracefully — adverb
1. moving or performing actions in a way that looks smooth, controlled, and attract
moving or performing actions in a way that looks smooth, controlled, and attractive to watch
The ballet dancer moved gracefully across the stage during her final performance.
adverb modifying movement verbs (move, dance, walk)
Mei-Lin watched the swans glide gracefully across the calm lake at dawn.
The old cat jumped gracefully from the windowsill onto the garden wall below.
Oliver turned gracefully to face the crowd before beginning his speech.
Fatima walked gracefully in her new shoes despite the slippery marble floor.
Diego's grandmother is aging gracefully, still full of energy and good humour.
用法筆記
Commonly pairs with verbs of motion: move, walk, dance, glide, turn, leap.
常見錯誤
2. behaving in a polite, kind, and pleasant manner, especially when dealing with an
behaving in a polite, kind, and pleasant manner, especially when dealing with an unpleasant or difficult situation
The losing candidate accepted the election results gracefully and congratulated his opponent.
collocation: accept gracefully (difficult situation)
Kwame gracefully admitted he was wrong when shown the new evidence from the report.
Ananya learned to accept criticism gracefully during her first year as a manager.
The star athlete bowed out of the competition gracefully after her injury.
- graciously
warmer and more generous in tone; often implies kindness toward someone of lower status
- politely
more general — simply observes social rules, without the nuance of handling difficulty
- tactfully
emphasises not offending or upsetting others, especially with sensitive topics
- rudely
opposite — impolite or disrespectful behaviour
- gracelessly
opposite — lacking manners or social awareness
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person or group. Frequently found with verbs of accepting, declining, or leaving: accept, admit, bow out, decline, concede, retire.
常見錯誤
gracefully — adjective
1. having a smooth and pleasing shape or way of moving that is attractive to look a
having a smooth and pleasing shape or way of moving that is attractive to look at
Arjun admired the graceful curve of the old stone bridge over the river.
collocation: graceful curve (physical shape)
Graceful white swans floated on the still water of the village pond.
The building's graceful arches reminded visitors of an earlier time in history.
A graceful melody drifted from the piano through the open window of the house.
Lucia practiced the graceful movements of the traditional dance every evening.
常見錯誤
2. showing good manners, kindness, and self-control in social situations, especiall
showing good manners, kindness, and self-control in social situations, especially when things go wrong
Despite losing the game, the young player showed graceful sportsmanship by shaking hands.
collocation: graceful sportsmanship
Grandmother's graceful hospitality made every guest feel welcome in her home.
The prime minister offered a graceful apology for the mistake he had made in public.
Omar handled the awkward situation with a graceful response that calmed everyone.
A graceful thank-you note arrived the day after Amara's birthday celebration.