Synonyms for gratuity
Most common
Synonyms by meaning
Noun
1. Gift — an additional payment given freely as thanks for service
gift, bounty, dole, present, donation, grace, grant, pourboire, perquisite, benefaction, baksheesh, douceur, bakshish, cumshaw, backsheesh, boon dated, donative dated
2. Inducement — euphemistic form of bribe
inducement, payoff informal, payola US, sweetener
3. Tip — euphemistic form of fee, in contexts where such additional payments have been made obligatory
Definitions
- n. 1
An additional payment given freely as thanks for service.
The waiter received a generous gratuity.
- n. 2
Euphemistic form of fee, in contexts where such additional payments have been made obligatory.
- n. 3
Euphemistic form of bribe.
Related words
- Word family
- gratis gratuitous gratuitously
Forms
- Plural
- gratuities → gifts, bounties, doles, presents…
Choose the right word
A gratuity is usually something of moderate value and is always given as to an inferior, and as of favor, not of right; as, a gratuity to a waiter. Largess is archaic for a bountiful gratuity, usually to be distributed among many, as among the heralds at ancient tournaments.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- gift That's the most beautiful gift I've ever received.
- grace Everybody at the party was charmed with her grace.
Popularity over time
| Word | 1850 → 2019 | Trend |
|---|---|---|
| gratuity | falling | |
| gift | rising | |
| grace | rising | |
| perquisite | falling | |
| pourboire | rising |
Use in printed books, per decade from 1850 to 2019.
By length
- 3 letters
- tip1
- 4 letters
- gift1, boon1, dole1
- 5 letters
- grant1, grace1
- 6 letters
- bounty2, payoff2, payola3
- 7 letters
- present2, premium3, douceur, cumshaw
- 8 letters
- donation3, largesse2, donative, bakshish
- 9 letters
- sweetener3, baksheesh, pourboire
- 10 letters
- inducement3, perquisite3, backsheesh
- 11 letters
- benefaction
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (bounty2 = 2 syllables).