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
This single feast, emblematic of Fes’s cuisine, carries the taste of the courtly table of the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad, the flavors served at the Alhambra in Islamic Andalucia, a blend of West African spices, and Amazigh know-how.
—
Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courtly
Adjective
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The graceful curves of Boston’s beloved Swan Boats took shape today in the Public Garden just in time for the warm weather and another season of peaceful paddle rides around the lagoon.—
Boston Herald staff,
Boston Herald,
13 Apr. 2026
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The artwork shows a man at the center with an arm raised in a graceful gesture, surrounded by a large crowd.—
Sofia Baltodano,
Miami Herald,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Charles Melton is effortlessly handsome while out and about in the Big Apple on April 15.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
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The museum’s Rodins now line a grassy area between one of two handsome exterior staircases and a green fence along Wilshire.—
Maximilíano Durón,
ARTnews.com,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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This elegant opera house hosts numerous events, mostly opera and ballet.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 Apr. 2026
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The smooth, fluid drape reads elegant, and the fabric has a soft silk sheen that holds up beautifully in a suitcase.—
Paris Wilson,
Travel + Leisure,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Schuch paused in front of a Tetra Pak carton of Côtes du Rhône, noting that while such packaging had gone over fine in Nordic countries, French consumers had rejected it vehemently.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2026
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With the husbands off for a golf outing, Julia and Jane (well attended to by Chimo’s martini-mixing maid Saunders) get decked out in their evening finest and wait impatiently at Julia’s luxe apartment (Jane lives upstairs) for the mystery man Maurice to arrive.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
19 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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For all his royal status, Hamlet is a figure of resistance, who targets, mocks, humiliates, and ultimately kills a king.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
14 Apr. 2026
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The Sussexes stepped back as senior working members of the royal family in 2020.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
14 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But the Ballances were more than gallant warriors – in fact, a life-size oil painting of Marti’s great-grandfather Charles Ballance’s wife and children – including her grandfather Willis as a 3-year-old – hangs in a place of honor at the Illinois State Museum in Springfield.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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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
Cite this Entry
“Courtly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtly. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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