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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in gracious
showing consideration, courtesy, and good manners
his genteel gesture of holding the door for the ladies
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of genteel
Schlather’s approach is the opposite of the genteel Spoleto staging, which invoked the opulent sets and costumes of the Met’s designer, Cecil Beaton, on a smaller stage.
—
Russell Platt,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
Where Aston’s mid-engine milestone distances itself from its 1,139 hp Valkyrie sibling is in its ability to display a more genteel demeanor in public.
—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
25 Apr. 2026
In this case, a genteel woman’s tradition is set against the sound of military helicopters whirring overhead.
—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
That’s why the institution of the post-presidency has traditionally functioned as a genteel club in which constraints of professional courtesy restrain former presidents from commenting on the work of the current officeholder.
—
Scott Curran,
Time,
10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Russell Platt,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
Where Aston’s mid-engine milestone distances itself from its 1,139 hp Valkyrie sibling is in its ability to display a more genteel demeanor in public.
—
Viju Mathew,
Robb Report,
25 Apr. 2026
In this case, a genteel woman’s tradition is set against the sound of military helicopters whirring overhead.
—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
That’s why the institution of the post-presidency has traditionally functioned as a genteel club in which constraints of professional courtesy restrain former presidents from commenting on the work of the current officeholder.
—
Scott Curran,
Time,
10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
-
All were polite and responsive.
-
He has been adored, sanitized, revived, pathologized, sentimentalized, and combed for polite company.
Adjective
-
In Season 3, the team enters Dinopia, a civilized dinosaur world, to face threats endangering both worlds through friendship, courage, and teamwork.
-
The chaos in Ithaca may be political and ethical—a violation of custom—but stretches of the poem are barbarous and wild, beyond civilized life altogether.
Adjective
-
The Sound and The Fury Told by four narrators in a stream of consciousness writing style, this 1929 story describes the downfall of a wealthy Southern aristocratic family, the Compsons.
-
Because of previous demand, over 20,000 people had been employed in buckle manufacture in the Birmingham area, but when this aristocratic fashion suddenly collapsed in 1786 on the eve of the French Revolution, their trade collapsed along with it.
Adjective
-
The axe came down swiftly and brutally, but, speaking candidly, Geoff Daniels, PBS’ Vice President, Programming & Development, was gracious about it, thanking the audience of mostly media industry people for their camaraderie.
-
The gracious — and perfectly acceptable — way is not to serve alcohol to anyone.
Adjective
-
Families, educators and advocates described barriers to accessing proper support and services.
-
Heat this severe can affect anyone without proper cooling or hydration, according to the weather service.
Adjective
-
Some butter is cultured by adding lactic acid bacteria.
-
Clean Cultured Marble These same cleaning supplies and methods can be used to clean cultured marble bathroom vanity tops and sinks.
Adjective
-
The idea that, rather than taking your phone out of your pocket to open the Soundcore app to get all the settings, is a noble one, but it's replaced by taking your carry case out of your pocket, unlocking it, and then getting to all the settings.
-
So did his friendly rival, John Adams, who wrote of his dream ‘…to see rising in America an empire of liberty, and a prospect of two or three hundred millions of freemen, without one noble or one king among them.
Adjective
-
But by the time the bicentennial rolled around, my life had played out against the backdrop of civil unrest and the Vietnam War, both spilling from our black-and-white television almost nightly.
-
The higher current density reduces the overall equipment footprint by roughly two-thirds and can lower civil engineering requirements for future installations.
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 4 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
