# graceful

/ˈɡɹeɪsfəɫ/ (US) · /ɡɹˈeɪsfəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/graceful
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 1. elegant movement

adjective · CEFR B2

moving in a smooth, relaxed, and attractive way.

For teachers: characterised by elegance, beauty of movement, or harmony of form.

- The dancer was so graceful that she seemed to float across the stage.
- The gazelle made a graceful leap over the tall grass, escaping the predator with effortless fluidity.

### 2. polite and kind

adjective · CEFR C1 · Formal

behaving in a kind and pleasant way, especially in a difficult situation.

For teachers: showing kindness, politeness, and a lack of arrogance, particularly when facing defeat or criticism.

- He was very graceful in defeat and congratulated the winner immediately.
- Accepting the award with a graceful speech, the actress took care to credit the entire production crew for their hard work.

### 3. smooth technical transition

adjective · CEFR C1 · Technical

describing a computer program or system that stops or changes without causing errors.

For teachers: referring to a process, system, or exit that occurs in a controlled manner without causing disruption or data loss.

- The server performed a graceful shutdown, ensuring all user data was saved first.
- The application was designed for graceful degradation, allowing core features to remain functional even when the external database was offline.

Usage: Often used in the phrase 'graceful degradation' or 'graceful exit'.

## Examples

- The dancer moved across the stage in a graceful way.
- She was very graceful when she lost the competition, shaking hands with the winner and smiling.
- The swan's graceful glide across the lake contrasted sharply with its clumsy, heavy movements once it reached the muddy shore.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.