suave

adjective \ ˈswäv \

Definition of suave

suaver; suavest

1 :smoothly though often superficially gracious and sophisticated

2 :smooth in texture, performance, or style

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suavely

adverb

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suaveness

noun

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suavity

play \ˈswä-və-tē\ noun

See suave defined for English-language learners

See suave defined for kids

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

Lewis brought out the suave crooner’s inner prankster, while Martin brought out Lewis’s musicality.

— gary susman, vanityfair.com, "Jerry Lewis, Comedic Force of Nature, Dies at 91," 20 Aug. 2017
Lewis brought out the suave crooner’s inner prankster, while Martin brought out Lewis’s musicality.

— gary susman, HWD, "Jerry Lewis, Comedic Force of Nature, Dies at 91," 20 Aug. 2017
Mr. Reynolds, for his part, is comfortable and credible as a smart, suave young punk in need of a bit of schooling.

— a. o. scott, New York Times, "Review: ‘The Hitman’s Bodyguard,’ With Samuel L. Jackson," 16 Aug. 2017
His interpretation of the role is notably grittier and more dour than that of his predecessor, the ultra-suave Pierce Brosnan.

— david meyer, Fortune, "Daniel Craig Tells Stephen Colbert He Will Be Back As James Bond," 16 Aug. 2017
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

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

Synonyms

debonair, smooth, sophisticated, svelte, urbane

Antonyms

boorish, churlish, classless, clownish, loutish, uncouth

Near Antonyms

awkward, clumsy, gauche, graceless, stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungraceful, wooden; callow, green, inexperienced, puerile, raw; hick, parochial, provincial, rough-hewn, rustic (also rustical); inelegant, philistine, uncivilized, uncultured, unrefined; unsophisticated, unworldly; gawky, lubberly, stodgy, ungainly; diffident, insecure

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.