suave

suave

adj \ˈswäv\

suav·ersuav·est

Definition of SUAVE

1

: smoothly though often superficially gracious and sophisticated

2

: smooth in texture, performance, or style

— suave·ly adverb

— suave·ness noun

— sua·vi·ty \ˈswä-və-tē\ noun

Examples of SUAVE

1. a suave and sophisticated businessman
2. <the suave gentleman was a great favorite of the elegant ladies who attended parties at the embassy>
3. I am pleased, also, to think I pulled it off. I didn't do anything too stupid or gauche, and even though it was my first time at a spa, I managed to bluff my way through in a suitably suave, urbane fashion without any embarrassing social gaffes. —Will Ferguson, Beauty Tips From Moose Jaw, 2004
4. When she had been Miss Tampa, a suave major leaguer had courted her till she found out he was married, with children. —Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 19 Mar. 2001
5. Bobby gets a lot of tough love at home. As suave and polite as he seems to outsiders, he has “two personalities,” says his stepmother Wille. “He's a con artist.” His parents kicked him out of the house in August, trying to scare him after he came home drunk at 5 a. m. —Stacy Perman, Time, 25 Oct. 1999

Origin of SUAVE

French, from Middle French, pleasant, sweet, from Latin suavis — more at sweet

First Known Use: 1831

Related to SUAVE

Synonyms: debonair, smooth, sophisticated, svelte, urbane

Antonyms: boorish, churlish, classless, clownish, loutish, uncouth

Related Words: cavalier, glib, slick, unctuous; civilized, couth, cultivated, cultured, genteel, graceful, gracious, poised, polished, refined, well-bred; cosmopolitan, metro, metropolitan, smart, worldly-wise; experienced, knowing, practiced (also practised), schooled, seasoned; amiable, appealing, attractive; assured, calm, collected, composed, confident, cool, placid, secure, self-assured, self-confident, self-possessed, serene, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed

Near Antonyms: awkward, clumsy, gauche, graceless, stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungraceful, wooden; callow, green, inexperienced, puerile, raw; hick, parochial, provincial, rough-hewn, rustic (also rustical); inelegant, philistine, uncivilized, uncultured, unrefined; unsophisticated, unworldly; gawky, lubberly, stodgy, ungainly; diffident, insecure

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Synonym Discussion of SUAVE

suave, urbane, diplomatic, bland, smooth, politic mean pleasantly tactful and well-mannered. suave suggests a specific ability to deal with others easily and without friction <a suave public relations coordinator>. urbane implies high cultivation and poise coming from wide social experience <an urbane traveler>. diplomatic stresses an ability to deal with ticklish situations tactfully <a diplomatic negotiator>. bland emphasizes mildness of manner and absence of irritating qualities <a bland master of ceremonies>. smooth suggests often a deliberately assumed suavity <a smooth salesman>. politic implies shrewd as well as tactful and suave handling of people <a cunningly politic manager>.

Rhymes with SUAVE

grave, of, salve, Slav, taw, waw