/ ɪnˈgreɪʃieɪt; NAmE / verb
[ vn ] [ no passive ] ingratiate yourself (with sb) ( disapproving ) to do things in order to make sb like you, especially sb who will be useful to you :
The first part of his plan was to ingratiate himself with the members of the committee.
••
WORD ORIGIN
early 17th cent.: from Latin in gratiam into favour, on the pattern of obsolete Italian ingratiare , earlier form of ingraziare .