Asking someone out plainly and taking a no gracefully is about as respectable as it gets.

The respectable part is not the asking, it is the two halves together. A clear question gives the other person something they can actually answer, instead of weeks of hinting that leaves everyone guessing. Accepting the answer without an argument, a sulk or a campaign is what proves the question was a real question rather than a request for a yes.

If there is someone you have been circling, ask directly and keep it short. Decide beforehand what you will say if the answer is no, so you are not improvising while disappointed. Then let it be over, which is the part people actually respect you for later.