as in graceful
having or showing elegance
his courtly manners made him a favorite escort of widowed socialites
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
-
Your graceful mindset calms tension, while a tidy workspace restores focus and keeps cooperation smooth.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Which is how Tabebuia Umbellata, the graceful little tree with the butter-yellow blossoms, came to help glorify springtime in Orlando.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The handsome Kennedy heir was seen chatting up several girls.—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
22 Mar. 2026
-
Claflin’s got the right kind of handsome face for it, all angles and sneers.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
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
-
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
-
Some timely goals and Swayman’s finest work of the season awaited them.—
Steve Conroy,
Boston Herald,
22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When Andrew was stripped of his royal titles, and he and Fergie were ordered to vacate Royal Lodge, Beatrice and Eugenie maintained their titles and were still invited to spend Christmas with the family at Sandringham.—
Lizzie Lanuza,
StyleCaster,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Since that time, Kate has been busy attending various events and official royal outings.—
Yi-Jin Yu,
ABC News,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
Tilt and the gallant escort was replaced by a boy too traumatized to leave his mother’s side.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Courtly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtly. Accessed 23 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
