finesse

1 of 2

noun

fi·​nesse fə-ˈnes 

1

: refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture

… trinkets of an extreme finesse …

—Raoul D'Harcourt

2

: skillful handling of a situation : adroit maneuvering

She handled the interviewer's questions with finesse.

3

: the withholding of one's highest card or trump in the hope that a lower card will take the trick because the only opposing higher card is in the hand of an opponent who has already played

finesse

2 of 2

verb

finessed; finessing

transitive verb

1

a

: to bring about, direct, or manage by adroit maneuvering

… finesse his way through tight places …

—Marquis James

b

: evade, skirt

finesse the hard issues

2

: to play (a card) in a finesse

intransitive verb

: to make a finesse in playing cards

Frequently Asked Questions

What does it mean to finesse something?

If you finesse something, you handle it or do it skillfully and cleverly.

What is the difference between finesse and fineness?

Finesse refers to the skill and cleverness someone shows in the way they deal with a situation or problem. Fineness refers to a thing's quality of being fine—for example, the fineness of print (that is, how small the letters are) or the fineness of one wire in comparison to another (that is, how thin they are).

What are some synonyms of finesse?

Adroitness, cleverness, and dexterity are all synonyms of finesse.

Synonyms of finesse

Noun

• ability
• talent
• prowess
• proficiency
• dexterity
• aptitude
• competence
• expertise

Verb

• negotiate
• manipulate
• maneuver
• engineer
• arrange
• plot

Examples of finesse in a Sentence

Noun

She handled the interview questions with finesse.

maneuvered his opponent into checkmate with his customary finesse

Verb

He managed to finesse a deal through bargaining.

She is just trying to finesse the issue.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Repetition builds finesse in delicate, millimeter-level procedures. —Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 22 Oct. 2025

Failliet is a slang Dutch term that translates as ‘bankrupt’ so the name loosely means ‘finesse or bust’. —Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 14 Oct. 2025

Verb

This picks up any holding with both an honor and the nine onside, which outweighs the alternative play of finessing the 10. —Deb Harvell, Arkansas Online, 12 Oct. 2025

The race to dominate the humanoid robotics market is as much about harvesting 3D data as finessing the nuts and bolts. —Charlie Campbell, Time, 9 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, "fineness," borrowed from Middle French, "fineness, subtlety, ruse, trick," from fin fine entry 1 + -esse, suffix forming abstract nouns from adjectives, going back to Latin -itia (with phonetic development as if from -icia) — more at -ice

Verb

derivative of finesse entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1742, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for finesse

• abbess
• abscess
• access
• address
• assess
• caress
• confess
• depress
• digress
• distress
• egress
• excess

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Kids Definition

finesse

1 of 2 noun

fi·​nesse fə-ˈnes 

: skillful or delicate handling or artistry

finesse

2 of 2 verb

finessed; finessing

: to bring about a result by finesse