finesse

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

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

Examples of finesse in a Sentence

He managed to finesse a deal through bargaining.

She is just trying to finesse the issue.

Recent Examples on the Web

The two scenes that were finessed the most, where McKenna’s interpretation of Nicky was most crucial, were his first meeting with Ralph (Winston Sawyers) and his Episode 1 confrontation with Jack (Lox Pratt). —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 31 May 2026

The immaculate lineup of laminated pastries, like a pandan cream croissant, is similarly finessed. —Allecia Vermillion, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 May 2026

Randle didn’t try to finesse or quick-shot it, but went up strong. —Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 5 May 2026

This being Nantucket, the team contended with stringent zoning regulations governing building footprints, rooflines, and window heights; finessing the layout felt like expert-level Tetris. —David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 8 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

derivative of finesse entry 1

First Known Use

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