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

Take inspiration from her flattering coat with this faux suede option at Amazon. —Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 18 Oct. 2025

While denim remains the thrust of the brand, recent growth has been driven by the expansion of leather, suede and outerwear categories. —Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 17 Oct. 2025

The exteriors are made from a beautiful suede in the perfect muted green, and the interiors are lined with the shearling material that Ugg has become so well-known for. —Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 17 Oct. 2025

The tall design is constructed of Italian suede and leather that’s been made water-resistant and jazzed up with buckles at the calf, to secure the comfy and warm shearling interior. —Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 16 Oct. 2025

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"