congraciar

to ingratiate oneself

verb kon-grah-SYAHR Rare

Origin: From Latin congratiare, to win favour.

Usage Note

Congraciar is nearly always used reflexively: congraciarse con alguien means to win someone's favour, often with a slightly calculating overtone. It is a formal or literary verb; in everyday speech caer bien or ganarse la simpatía are more common.

Examples

"Intentó congraciarse con el jefe."

Natural Translation

He tried to ingratiate himself with the boss.

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