Hi, I am looking for a good adverb here. "My picture —insert adverb here— graces their website." So an adverb to go before "graces." Leaving aside all subjective considerations of beauty, the only one I can think of is "proudly." Have any others? I'd appreciate the help. (Haven't ever seen a dictionary or thesaurus for adverbs, perhaps because so many discourage their use?)
'Proudly' seems like a good choice to me. Before I suggest anything else, I need a little more context, what is it exactly that you're trying to get across here? what kind of emotions are you looking to evoke? I'm asking these so I can narrow down my suggestions as opposed to just throwing random adverbs at you.
to be honest this is one of those adverbs not needed sentences " my picture graces their website" is fine as it is, the adverb is redundant because the verb graces already conveys the positive connotation
Adverbs suck most of the time. Agree with Moose that you don't need one in that sentence because "grace" is a strong verb with a specific connotation that will only be weakened if you try to adorn it with a puffy modifier. "Proudly," however, is fairly* benign and it wouldn't bother me too much in that sentence. What concerns me is that you're actively* looking for a puffier adverb as if one were mandatory, which tells me that you're not confident in the inherent functionality of simple language (in this case), and I'd feel remiss if I didn't point out that you made a good choice with "grace" and I'd hate to see it ruined. *adverbs like these don't bother me as much because they're not puffy and the words they're modifying will hold some degree of qualification. Though the "actively" is probably unnecessarily, the idiomatic nature of the phrase "actively looking" (as opposed to passively looking?) hit the page without me even thinking about it. I'd probably edit it out later if I was writing officially*, but I kept it as an example of the insidious nature of adverbs.
I'd agree that you don't really need an adverb on 'graces' - unless you're going for sarcasm, say ('grotesquely graces' for example). What are you looking to convey that 'graces' doesn't have covered?
I'm with Moose, too. Plus, putting an adverb in splits the infinitive and makes the sentence rather ugly.
verb GRACE - COURTESY Dictionary.com 1. bring honour or credit to (someone or something) by one's attendance or participation. "he is one of the best players ever to have graced the game" synonyms: dignify, distinguish, add distinction to, add dignity to, honour, bestow honour on, favour, enhance, add lustre to, magnify, ennoble, glorify, elevate, make lofty, aggrandize, upgrade "the occasion was graced by the presence of Lady Thomson" ... My avatar graces the pages of Writer Forum. Those worms are most grateful of my lofty presence.
Prince George: As my carriage rolls through the streets the people shout 'we hail Prince George' Blackadder : It's we hate Prince George , sire"
I think you might be confused as to what splitting an infinitive is. While I also agree with @big soft moose and I don't think adverbs should be added simply for the sake of having adverbs, adding on here doesn't have to be redundant and can add something if used right. There's a bit of a difference between: "My picture graces their website; My picture elegantly graces their website;" and "My picture flamboyantly graces their website."
although the picture is neither elegant or flamboyant - the subject might be but the picture itself just sits there.... in fact graces is a bit strong for a my picture is on their website even without addition
Mockingly..... Beautifies....(leave out graces) My picture was deemed worthy of their website...... Morbidly..... I got nothing, just throwing out random garbage like a literary generator
How about tossing the adverb, and describe your possession of the picture; such as: My picture, my work of art, graces their website.
Ditto on what Moose said. And even if . . . "proudly" wouldn't fly, because the image itself can't be proud. It can be delightful, morbid, grim, or any of the other words that have been thrown out here, but not proud.
Adverb not needed but since you requested one: magnificently, gorgeously, inconspicuously, indirectly, distractingly, glaringly, graphically,
