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

When most people think about boho today—especially amid its recent revival—an airy romance of cascading ruffles and suede almost certainly comes to mind. —Daisy Maldonado, InStyle, 21 Feb. 2026

Use a suede brush, limited water, and a suede-safe cleaner to gently clean your boots without damaging them. —Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 21 Feb. 2026

She is elegantly dressed in an olive-green suede jacket and a knitted skirt with a geometric pattern. —Gaby Wood, Vogue, 21 Feb. 2026

Debuted by Bad Bunny himself during the press conference for his Super Bowl halftime performance, The shoe uses a grayish-white suede for the majority of the upper, while black appears in the side cutouts, tongue and collar. —Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 20 Feb. 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"