Did you know?
Calling someone debonair is another way of saying they’ve got a certain je ne sais quoi, or to be more specific (and complete the rhyme): savoir faire. Ooh la la! If this all sounds ultra chic to you, you’re not alone. French has a certain cachet, a fanciness and prestige owing in part to its deep etymological, historical, and political connections with English. This extends to many French words that English has borrowed outright or adapted, including debonair. In Anglo-French, someone who was genteel and thought to be well-brought-up was described as deboneire—literally “of good family or nature” (from the three-word phrase de bon aire). When the word was borrowed into English in the 13th century, it basically meant “courteous,” but today’s debonair incorporates suaveness, nonchalance, and maybe even a soupçon of esprit (carefree sophistication with a dash of wit).
Examples of debonair in a Sentence
G. Y. Dryansky, Condé Nast Traveler, November 1994
Cary Grant is the center of the action and, at this pivotal point in his career, he is suspended between the heroic and the debonair.
—Andrew Sarris, Video Review, September 1990
Wyndham Lewis arrived for a stay in Paris and he was a different man from the Lewis of London. He was free and easy and debonair.
—Robert McAlmon et al., Being Geniuses Together, (1938) 1968
a debonair man in a suit and top hat
his debonair dismissal of my inquiry concerning his financial situation led me to believe that nothing was wrong
Chop Choppish Shop, Air Mail, 10 May 2025
The first Monday in May will be 'Superfine' The Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual fashion extravaganza is back Monday, and this time, the event is paying homage to the debonair flair of Black menswear and its evolution over the centuries.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 6 May 2025
The Metropolitan Museum of Art's annual fashion extravaganza is back, and this time, the event is paying homage to the debonair flair of Black menswear and its evolution over the centuries.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 May 2025
Gabriel Macht completed his three-episode arc on NBC’s Suits LA on Sunday night, returning as Harvey Specter, the debonair longtime friend of the spinoff’s lead character, Ted Black (Stephen Amell).
—Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 27 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debonair
Cite this Entry
“Debonair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debonair. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
debonair
adjective
Middle English debonere "courteous, debonair," from early French deboneire (same meaning), from earlier phrase de bon aire "of good family"
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