Definition of finesse
1 : refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture trinkets of an extreme finesse — Arnold Rosin
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
Explore Merriam-Webster
finesse was our Word of the Day on 02/23/2017. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Examples of finesse in a Sentence
She handled the interview questions with finesse.
maneuvered his opponent into checkmate with his customary finesse
Recent Examples of finesse from the Web
-
Not every police agency provides a log of its responses, and few do it with the finesse of the Forest Grove Police Department.
-
And don't forget, Swanigan can make some finesse plays too.
-
Making all the pieces fit—and maximizing them along the way—will demand some real finesse on Rivers’s part.
-
But Trump may have one ace in the hole: McConnell and his parliamentary finesse.
-
Joon-ho handles the tonal shifts well and brings his typical filmmaking finesse.
-
During Desdemona and Otello’s love duet at the end of Act I, for example, Mr. Pappano sent off spikes of extreme feeling that Mr. Kaufmann, for all his vocal finesse, didn’t quite match.
-
A skilled 3-point shooter at 7 feet whose finesse game has been compared favorably to fellow European Kristaps Porzingis, Markkanen gives the Bulls a perimeter threat to space the floor.
-
The skills, ability to adapt to conditions and the proper blend of aggressiveness, finesse and imagination to put the ball into the cup the least number of times determine winners.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'finesse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of finesse
Middle English, from Middle French, from fin
finesse
Definition of finesse
finessed
;finessing
Examples of finesse in a Sentence
He managed to finesse a deal through bargaining.
She is just trying to finesse the issue.
Recent Examples of finesse from the Web
-
Every attempt to resolve the contradiction between public demands and conservative ideology has led the party to finesse it instead.
-
For about a decade, the tax abatements and legal loopholes that Trump was able to finesse came about, in large part, because of Cohn.
-
For Clinton, the challenge is to create a few—to tell some unpleasant truths to his party and the nation, to show some passion, to stop trying to finesse all the people, all of the time.
-
Mr. Godwin tries to finesse the problem by emphasizing from the start the Duke’s own instability.
-
The uninvited guests finesse their way through a security checkpoint staffed by uniformed Secret Service officers, according to congressional testimony by the agency's director Mark Sullivan.
-
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The supposedly finesse, jump-shooting Golden State Warriors lead all playoff teams in post touches, helping fuel the second-most efficient offense.
-
At about 5 inches long by 3 inches wide by 3 inches high, and weighing less than a pound, this little impresser can glide in and around pockets, pleats and other tight places bigger irons couldn’t finesse.
-
A Junior Olympic sized pool with dedicated lap lanes is a great place to finesse your freestyle.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'finesse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
finesse Started Out As a Noun
Finesse was a noun for more than 200 years before it became a verb. In the early 16th century the noun finesse was used to refer to refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture. Soon thereafter it developed the "skillful handling of a situation" meaning most common today. The first use of the verb finesse, however, was not as a corollary of one of these meanings. Instead, its meaning had to do with cards: if you finesse in a game like bridge or whist, you withhold your 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. The other verb meanings of finesse developed within a few decades of this one.
Origin and Etymology of finesse
see 1finesse
FINESSE Defined for English Language Learners
finesse
playDefinition of finesse for English Language Learners
-
: skill and cleverness that is shown in the way someone deals with a situation, problem, etc.
finesse
Definition of finesse for English Language Learners
-
: to handle, deal with, or do (something) in an indirect and skillful or clever way
Learn More about finesse
-
See words that rhyme with finesse Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for finesse Spanish Central: Translation of finesse Nglish: Translation of finesse for Spanish speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up finesse? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!