different between gracious vs satisfactory

English

Alternative forms

• gratious (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English gracious, from Old French gracieus, from Latin gratiosus, from gratia (“esteem, favor”). See grace. Displaced native Old English hold (“gracious”). Doublet of gracioso and grazioso.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /???e???s/
• Rhymes: -e???s

Adjective

gracious (comparative more gracious, superlative most gracious)

1. kind and warmly courteous
2. tactful
3. compassionate
4. indulgent, charming and graceful
5. elegant and with good taste
6. benignant
7. full of grace

Derived terms

• graciousness
• graciously

See also

• graceful

Translations

Interjection

gracious

1. Expression of surprise, contempt, outrage, disgust, boredom, or frustration.

Synonyms

• (expression of surprise): See Thesaurus:wow

Middle English

Alternative forms

• gracyous, gracyows, gracyouse, gracius, gracieux, gratious, gratius

Etymology

From Old French gracious, from Latin gr?ti?sus. Equivalent to grace +? -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ra?si?u?s/, /?ra??sju?s/, /??ra?sius/, /??ra?sjus/, /??ra?sj?s/

Adjective

gracious (plural and weak singular graciouse, comparative graciouser, superlative graciousest)

1. kind, gracious, polite
2. forgiving, relenting (used mainly positively)
3. godly, Christian, involving the graciousness of God.
4. lucky, glad; bestowed with good fortune.
5. enjoyable, nice, pleasing.
6. good-looking; pleasing to the eye.
7. obedient, respectworthy
8. (rare) useful, beneficious

Derived terms

• graciously
• graciousnesse

Descendants

• English: gracious
• Scots: gracious
• Yola: graacuse

References

• “gr?ci?us, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-05-14.

English

Etymology

Borrowed from Middle French satisfactoire, from Late Latin satisfact?rius, from Latin satisfactus, past participle of satisfaci?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /sæt?s?fækt(?)?i/
• Rhymes: -ækt??i

Adjective

satisfactory (comparative more satisfactory, superlative most satisfactory)

1. Done to satisfaction; adequate or sufficient.

   The satisfactory results of the survey led to his promotion.
2. Causing satisfaction; agreeable or pleasant; satisfying.
3. (theology) Making atonement for a sin; expiatory.

Usage notes

Although structurally similar (both being derived from satisfy and describing that which produces satisfaction), satisfactory (def. 1) and satisfying differ in connotation. Satisfactory connotes "adequate, conforming to standards," while satisfying connotes "pleasing, or sufficient to remove any feeling of lack." An answer to a question or the outcome of a situation, for example, could be satisfactory without being satisfying, if it met the requirements but left one wanting more.

Derived terms

• satisfactorily (adv)
• unsatisfactory (adj)

Related terms

• satisfaction (n)
• satisfied (adj)

Translations