as in graceful
having or showing elegance
his courtly manners made him a favorite escort of widowed socialites
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Recent Examples of courtly
When Elsbeth meets Alec (Ivan Hernandez) at a benefit (on the courtly arm of Dr. Yablonski, who has now popped up in each of Elsbeth’s three seasons to date), the aspiring mayoral candidate comes across as a Zohran Mamdani–inflected unifier.
—
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
And so, despite some emotionally satiating patriotic rhetoric on the campaign trail, Carney was deferential and complimentary to Trump on his courtly visit to the Oval Office shortly after winning the election.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
The Tale of Genji ’s early chapters are rooted in fairy-tale monogatari, but the book soon metamorphoses into its own strange thing, a courtly romance that follows Prince Genji over his half century of life, and then, after Genji’s death, takes up the lives of the next generation.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
Not long after her wedding to Wu Ding, her father-in-law the king died, and the family was obligated to formally mourn and abstain from courtly life for three years.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
And so, despite some emotionally satiating patriotic rhetoric on the campaign trail, Carney was deferential and complimentary to Trump on his courtly visit to the Oval Office shortly after winning the election.
—Dónal Gill, The Dial, 28 Oct. 2025
The Tale of Genji ’s early chapters are rooted in fairy-tale monogatari, but the book soon metamorphoses into its own strange thing, a courtly romance that follows Prince Genji over his half century of life, and then, after Genji’s death, takes up the lives of the next generation.
—Lauren Groff, The Atlantic, 20 Aug. 2025
Not long after her wedding to Wu Ding, her father-in-law the king died, and the family was obligated to formally mourn and abstain from courtly life for three years.
—Literary Hub, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courtly
Adjective
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Although this year’s edition of the Oscars, which aired on ABC on March 15, was hardly in the class of the 1972 installment, there was at least one moment that recalled Johnson’s witty, graceful sendup of stars commandeering the ceremony to climb atop their soapbox.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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Your graceful mindset calms tension, while a tidy workspace restores focus and keeps cooperation smooth.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The handsome Kennedy heir was seen chatting up several girls.—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
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Claflin’s got the right kind of handsome face for it, all angles and sneers.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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With its elegant styling, comfortable three-row layout and strong hybrid powertrain, the TX stands as a polished new flagship in Lexus’ SUV lineup.—
Sponsored Content,
Denver Post,
21 Mar. 2026
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Onassis enlisted high society decorator Sister Parish to design the interiors, creating an elegant yet comfortable setting where the young political power couple entertained Washington insiders and journalists.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The same year, Kwame Onwuachi set the stage for the explosion of Caribbean fine dining in New York City with Tatiana, his upscale restaurant at Lincoln Center.—
Tori Latham,
Robb Report,
22 Mar. 2026
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Some timely goals and Swayman’s finest work of the season awaited them.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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As to whether today’s pinot noir wine tastes the same as whatever medieval knights were knocking back in the French royal court at Paris, grape DNA can’t reveal much about flavor.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
24 Mar. 2026
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During a separate visit in June to the Netherlands, the president stayed with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima at Huis ten Bosch Palace, a royal residence in The Hague.—
Ed O'Keefe,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And Texas made a gallant comeback to tie the game at 77-77 when Pope coolly sank three consecutive free throws after getting fouled behind the arc with 3.8 seconds remaining.—
Kirk Bohls,
Houston Chronicle,
8 Mar. 2026
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More significant and symbolic than an ultimately gallant failure in Mumbai was the moment Harry Brook effectively dropped the World Cup with the last mistake of what has been the most turbulent period of his meteoric rise to become one of the best batters in the world.—
Paul Newman,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Courtly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtly. Accessed 28 Mar. 2026.
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