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 suede upper is also a nice departure from classic leather on other styles. —Cheryl Wagemann, InStyle, 11 Jan. 2026

Top-handle bags have long been a staple of Kate Middleton’s capsule wardrobe — and the Princess of Wales just added a new chocolate brown suede style to her growing collection. —Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026

Read on for more on-sale Kate Spade purses worth checking out, including a chic suede laptop bag, a leather commuter tote, and a stunning blue oversized shoulder bag. —Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Jan. 2026

This time around, the royal teamed her sharp tailoring with a tonal pussybow blouse from Me+Em, DeMellier’s chocolate-brown suede Hudson bag, and matching Gianvito Rossi pumps, along with her Cartier Trinity earrings. —Emily Chan, Vogue, 8 Jan. 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"