gravitate

[grav-i-teyt]

verb (used without object)

gravitated, gravitating 

1. to move or tend to move under the influence of gravitational force.

2. to tend toward the lowest level; sink; fall.

3. to have a natural tendency or be strongly attracted (usually followed by to ortoward ).

   Musicians gravitate toward one another.

   Synonyms: move, lean, tend, incline

gravitate

/ ˈɡrævɪˌteɪt /

verb

1. physics to move under the influence of gravity

2. to be influenced or drawn, as by strong impulses

3. to sink or settle

Other Word Forms

• gravitater noun
• supergravitate verb (used without object)
• ungravitating adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of gravitate¹

First recorded in 1635–45; from New Latin gravitātus (past participle of gravitāre “to obey the laws of gravitation,” coined by Sir Isaac Newton ); gravity, -ate ¹

Example Sentences

That’s the music that I really gravitate to, music that just feels really honest.

From Los Angeles Times

She gravitates to romance “to get back to that place of hopefulness, and affirm the beauty and magic and meaningfulness of life.”

From Los Angeles Times

“People gravitate towards how she performs and how she makes it feel like the entire stadium is in a little room with her,” Kelce said.

From Los Angeles Times

The females gravitated towards their "friends", even if the animals had been apart for many years.

From BBC

Intellectual property has become key, as audiences now gravitate mostly toward what they already know.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• drift 
• incline 
• lean 
• tend