1 (elegantly) [+move] elegantemente He moves gracefully, pacing as he thinks he made a four-point landing as gracefully as a cat She swung gracefully out of the car
2 (in a dignified manner) con dignidad to grow old gracefully envejecer con dignidad; he never could lose gracefully nunca supo perder con dignidad; she apologized, none too gracefully pidió perdón a regañadientes
she gracefully conceded defeat I always expected to grow old gracefully, says Lillian, but now I'm busy fighting it as hard as I can rather than gracefully admitting defeat, he attacks his critics He had bowed out gracefully when his successor had been appointed I'm afraid I won't be able to assert myself gracefully in a situation like that
