1
as in polite
following the established traditions of refined society and good taste
those bygone days when young women were taught how to drink tea while wearing long gloves and other genteel ways of behaving
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in civilized
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living
she grew up in genteel old Savannah
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3
as in aristocratic
of high birth, rank, or station
the genteel ladies never mixed with the servants prohibited by reason of her genteel birth from marrying the man she loved
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4
as in gracious
showing consideration, courtesy, and good manners
his genteel gesture of holding the door for the ladies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of genteel
For even the least genteel arriviste, owning Mar-a-Lago and endearing oneself to an important Palm Beach charity would guarantee what is called entree, a place on all the right invitation lists and membership at one of the social clubs.
—
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
All this might be a bit much for those who like their international epics more refined and genteel.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024
Only that genteel veneer soon gives way to a more scathing national x-ray, satirizing post-Brexit malaise alongside broader issues of immigration and national identity.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025
Faulkner's chronicle of the dissolution of a genteel Southern family has already been adapted into two films, as has Hemingway's WWI romance.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025
All this might be a bit much for those who like their international epics more refined and genteel.
—Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 20 Dec. 2024
Only that genteel veneer soon gives way to a more scathing national x-ray, satirizing post-Brexit malaise alongside broader issues of immigration and national identity.
—Ben Croll, Variety, 30 Jan. 2025
Faulkner's chronicle of the dissolution of a genteel Southern family has already been adapted into two films, as has Hemingway's WWI romance.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
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Dressed in a colorful smoking jacket, an accentuating cravat and pencil-thin mustache, his get-up is almost as refined as his compliments, which are so detailed and nimbly assembled that even the politest group of word-spitters would be thoroughly impressed.—
Stefano Montali,
New York Times,
17 Feb. 2025
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Donald’s giving voice to what polite society sort of sat on for a while, things that are felt but that no one is articulating.—
Harrison Richlin,
IndieWire,
15 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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He was genuinely offended that someone would dare call his civilized kitties feral.—
Matt Robison,
Newsweek,
18 Feb. 2025
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People, many of whom had never ventured beyond the civilized comforts of the east, found themselves in a wild frontier fraught with dangers unimaginable by today’s standards.—
Kay Johnson,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Such features, which began appearing in high-status homes around the 10th century, were rare and signified a royal or aristocratic residence.—
Ella Jeffries,
Smithsonian Magazine,
4 Feb. 2025
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Central France has been occupied off and on for thousands of years, by aristocratic families to nomadic tribes.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
29 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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But each woman who was so gracious to spend time speaking with me is someone whose films have moved me.—
Marya E. Gates,
IndieWire,
19 Feb. 2025
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Darvish was gracious when asked about Gurriel’s gesture at the time.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Without proper execution, even the best strategies can fail.—
Dr. Sharon H. Porter,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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But Saya gives us a proper introduction with her first full-length record.—
Gabrielle Macafee,
Rolling Stone,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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But when the rich and cultured Princess Casamassima befriends him, Hyacinth becomes enamored of her lifestyle.—
Max Chapnick,
The Conversation,
16 Jan. 2025
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Remember, buttermilk is already cultured and tangy, so a little age isn't a deal breaker.—
Sheri Castle,
Southern Living,
5 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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Any algorithmic bias, no matter how noble, that promotes cooperation skews strategy and statecraft.—
Tom Rogers,
Newsweek,
21 Feb. 2025
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Sadly, this noble, ocean-going species is on the decline throughout its native range, with many runs listed as threatened or endangered.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
20 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Cox, appointed by Democratic Mayor Michelle Wu in 2022, affirmed on local news station WCVB last Sunday that his department does not comply with ICE's civil immigration detainers.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
23 Feb. 2025
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Fulton, an ex-girlfriend of Nicolas Cage and mother of Weston Cage, is suing the actor father-son pair for negligence and Weston Cage for assault, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress, according to a civil lawsuit filed in Los Angeles this week.—
Taijuan Moorman,
USA TODAY,
22 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 28 Feb. 2025.
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