Calling someone debonair is another way of saying they’ve got a certain je ne sais quoi, or to be more specific (and complete the rhyme): savoir faire. Ooh la la! If this all sounds ultra chic to you, you’re not alone. French has a certain cachet, a fanciness and prestige owing in part to its deep etymological, historical, and political connections with English. This extends to many French words that English has borrowed outright or adapted, including debonair. In Anglo-French, someone who was genteel and thought to be well-brought-up was described as deboneire—literally “of good family or nature” (from the three-word phrase de bon aire). When the word was borrowed into English in the 13th century, it basically meant “courteous,” but today’s debonair incorporates suaveness, nonchalance, and maybe even a soupçon of esprit (carefree sophistication with a dash of wit).
Their history, past and recent, may be scribbled with viciousness and deprivation, but the debonair politeness, the good humor, of the Irish I met, who are still among the poorest people in the West, gave me to believe that calamity breeds character.—G. Y. Dryansky, Condé Nast Traveler, November 1994Cary Grant is the center of the action and, at this pivotal point in his career, he is suspended between the heroic and the debonair.—Andrew Sarris, Video Review, September 1990Wyndham Lewis arrived for a stay in Paris and he was a different man from the Lewis of London. He was free and easy and debonair.—Robert McAlmon et al., Being Geniuses Together, (1938) 1968
a debonair man in a suit and top hat
his debonair dismissal of my inquiry concerning his financial situation led me to believe that nothing was wrong
Recent Examples on the WebBut as the 2000s hit Raymond would nearly immediately opt for suits and debonair menswear items.—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 14 Oct. 2024 The film never slows down, offering reliable entertainment throughout its runtime via an aesthetically debonair repackaging of historical events.—Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 16 Sep. 2024 Fleming’s debonair absurdist saga of gangsters and hair’s-breadth escapes was replaced by a broad fairy tale featuring a kidnapper called the Child Catcher.—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 July 2024 But there's something even dreamier and more debonair about the vermin version of Sherlock.—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 12 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for debonair
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'debonair.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English debonere, from Anglo-French deboneire, from de bon aire of good family or nature
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