suede

1 of 2

noun

ˈswād 

variants or less commonly suède

1

: leather with a napped surface

2

: a fabric finished with a nap to simulate suede

suede

2 of 2

verb

sueded; sueding

transitive verb

: to give a suede finish or nap to (a fabric or leather)

intransitive verb

: to give cloth or leather a suede finish

Examples of suede in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The store now carries the brand’s full range of footwear including its original slipper, loafers, mules, suede and shearling footwear, and pajamas. — Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026

Shop more under-$50 basics below, including a 100% mulberry silk turtleneck, office-ready trousers, and cozy suede ankle boots that shoppers swear are better quality than Uggs. — Better Homes & Gardens, 15 Oct. 2026

Amazon has plenty of options for layering this season, including cropped trench coats and zip-up cardigan jackets, plus suede styles for evenings out and fleece layers for chilly travel days. — Chaise Sanders, Travel + Leisure, 15 Oct. 2026

For those lingering warm days of autumn, pair a brown suede jacket with a shrunken tee and micro shorts, then finish with suede ballet heels for even more texture. — Kristina Rutkowski, Vogue, 14 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French gants de Suède Swedish gloves

First Known Use

Noun

1883, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1921, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for suede

• aid
• aide
• bade
• blade
• braid
• clade
• dade
• fade
• flayed
• fraid
• frayed
• gade

Kids Definition

suede

noun

variants also suède

ˈswād

1

: leather rubbed on one side to produce a velvety surface

2

: a cloth fabric that looks and feels like suede

Etymology

Noun

from French gants de Suède "Swedish gloves," from Suède "Sweden"