Definition of SUAVE

Examples of suave in a Sentence

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
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
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
a suave and sophisticated businessman
the suave gentleman was a great favorite of the elegant ladies who attended parties at the embassy

Recent Examples of suave from the Web

So the ostensibly suave and clever sky pirate, Balthier, could be a mace-wielding mega-bruiser if the player wanted.

— steven strom, Ars Technica, "Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age," 10 July 2017
The whole thing was reminiscent of Scott's Helmut Lang collab from earlier this year, a little bit suave, a little bit post-apocalyptic, but 100% cool.

— max berlinger, GQ, "How to Wear All Black This Summer and Keep Your Cool," 7 July 2017
New French President Emmanuel Macron, whose suave manner and daredevil stunts have earned high marks from French citizens (that's him below dropping onto a nuclear submarine), is determined to lead the world on environmental issues.

— douglas perry, OregonLive.com, "France will ban gas-powered cars by 2040, become green world leader, says country's environment minister," 6 July 2017
The West Coast legend has, after all, managed to thrive and survive more than 25 years in hip-hop, outlasting many of his contemporaries and some young guns by being savvy, suave and thinking fast on his feet.

— gil kaufman, Billboard, "Snoop Dogg Breaks Down Iguana Vs. Snake Battle on 'Plizzanet Earth': Watch," 13 June 2017
Bradley saw the opportunity, drew the path the ball would have to take to beat Ochoa in his mind's eye, and then had the suave touch to follow through on his vision—all in the space of less than two seconds.

— jack holmes, Esquire, "This U.S. Goal Against Mexico Last Night Will Be Replayed for Decades," 12 June 2017
A man at a Jamaican resort has become an Internet sensation after footage of his incredibly suave waterslide dismount went viral on Twitter.

— Fox News, "Waterslide stunt goes viral, but he says his friends can do it too," 7 June 2017
But the party’s representative for the 93 is Jordan Bardella, a suave 21-year-old who is always dressed in a suit and has established himself on social media as the guardian of social order in the banlieues.

— elisabeth zerofsky, New York Times, "Can a New Generation in the Banlieues Change French Politics?," 7 June 2017
Throughout his long political career, Edwards had always cultivated the image of a suave rogue with a quick wit, abundant charm and an uncanny knowledge of the way politics is played.

— NOLA.com, "The rise and fall of Gov. Edwin Edwards," 28 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'suave.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of suave

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

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1831

See Words from the same year

suave Synonyms

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

suave