How to Use courteous in a Sentence

courteous

adjective
  • The clerks were helpful and courteous.
  • What’s a critic to do in the face of such a courteous entreaty?
    Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2023
  • For a sit-in at a lunch counter, they were told, sit up straight, be courteous and don’t strike back.
    Robert D. McFadden, New York Times, 10 June 2024
  • In the end, Utah was ranked with the 12th-most courteous drivers overall.
    Andy Larsen, The Salt Lake Tribune, 12 Aug. 2023
  • Maybe just save the ice chewing for the comfort of your own home to be extra courteous to strangers.
    Olivia Muenter, Woman's Day, 8 June 2022
  • The conductor was courteous, and the train was full — a rare sight most weekends.
    Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2024
  • The rule of thumb: Be courteous, be patient and don’t crowd the aisles. Know the rules for your destination.
    Laura Begley Bloom, Forbes, 18 June 2021
  • Russians in the 11 cities are being asked to be courteous to the guests and also pick up litter.
    The Christian Science Monitor, 13 June 2018
  • The men who delivered it were so very nice, prompt and courteous.
    Olivia Evans, Women's Health, 22 Apr. 2023
  • My downstairs neighbor was a courteous young man who drove a Lexus and kept a pair of pet monkeys.
    San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Apr. 2022
  • The courteous thing to do is reduce your speed to idle rather than blowing past others at high speed.
    Matt Williams, Dallas News, 1 July 2022
  • Ramos may not be a celebrity to you yet, but he was easily made by the barista in Park Slope, who turned out to be a courteous fan.
    New York Times, 3 June 2021
  • Service at Babani’s is swift and courteous, and the food comes out lightning fast.
    Jess Fleming, Twin Cities, 11 Jan. 2017
  • Politeness: Are the folks in your state known for having a smile and a courteous demeanor?
    Cliff Pinckard, cleveland, 2 Oct. 2020
  • Be courteous: Not sure if someone in a group is Jewish?
    Emily Vanschmus, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2021
  • Although the man was courteous, the nurse and her colleagues reported him for fraud.
    Karen Kaplan Science and Medicine Editor, Los Angeles Times, 7 Dec. 2021
  • The build-up has been light on trash talk, with Parker living up to his image of being clean-cut and courteous.
    USA TODAY, 21 Sep. 2017
  • Uzbeks are amazing hosts and will go out of their way to be helpful and courteous to visitors.
    Joshua Jung, USA TODAY, 17 Jan. 2022
  • Staff were courteous and entry and exits well-thought-out.
    Seattle Times Readers, The Seattle Times, 25 June 2017
  • The tables have thick white tablecloths and hefty cutlery, and the wait staff is courteous and attentive.
    Coco McCabe, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Aug. 2019
  • The chances are that you were helped by a sales clerk who was knowledgeable, courteous and supportive throughout the process.
    Evgeny Grigul, Forbes, 1 Oct. 2021
  • Being courteous and gentle is thought to bring good fortune and luck.
    Avery Newmark, ajc, 1 Feb. 2022
  • Here’s to the people who keep the lights on and the water running, who keep the grid up so the rest of America has the wherewithal to be cautious, and courteous, and kind.
    John Archibald | Jarchibald@al.com, al, 17 Mar. 2020
  • Trader Joe’s, customers said, has the most courteous cashiers.
    Katherine Peralta, charlotteobserver, 11 May 2017
  • Brunetti inquires at the palazzo, where a courteous Sri Lankan man tells him that the property is not for sale.
    Tom Nolan, WSJ, 24 Mar. 2023
  • This approach would not just be more courteous but more cautious.
    Annie Lane, oregonlive, 10 Sep. 2020
  • And there are plenty of ways to pick up after your dog, in hopes of being a courteous neighbor or to just best maintain your own home.
    Andrea Marie, PEOPLE.com, 23 July 2021
  • When passing others, be courteous and make your presence known to them.
    Dallas News, 31 May 2022
  • Rice said that while most people seem to be kind and courteous, there are some who celebrate violence toward cyclists.
    James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 21 June 2024
  • To him, the robots are courteous, predictable and a welcome contrast from distracted or drunk human drivers.
    Gerrit De Vynck, Washington Post, 7 July 2024

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'courteous.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Last Updated: