as in graceful
having or showing elegance
his courtly manners made him a favorite escort of widowed socialites
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of courtly
In France, a courtlier breed of tooth pullers began to cater to the affluent in the late seventeenth century.
—
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Tea kettles, rolling pins, tableware, even shower curtains are all adorned in their ubiquitous courtly check, adding a dose of whimsy to any corner of your home.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 8 July 2025
Inside the feudal fortress, decorative interiors include frescoes credited to Benedetto Bembo, such as Camera d’Oro, a room that depicts courtly interactions between Pier Maria Rossi and Bianca Pellegrini and recounts the tale of their love.
—Gulnaz Khan, AFAR Media, 13 Feb. 2025
Across the street was the Mortensen House, a Spanish Colonial Revival villa from 1929, with courtly arches under a Mediterranean red-tile roof.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Burkhard Bilger, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
Tea kettles, rolling pins, tableware, even shower curtains are all adorned in their ubiquitous courtly check, adding a dose of whimsy to any corner of your home.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 8 July 2025
Inside the feudal fortress, decorative interiors include frescoes credited to Benedetto Bembo, such as Camera d’Oro, a room that depicts courtly interactions between Pier Maria Rossi and Bianca Pellegrini and recounts the tale of their love.
—Gulnaz Khan, AFAR Media, 13 Feb. 2025
Across the street was the Mortensen House, a Spanish Colonial Revival villa from 1929, with courtly arches under a Mediterranean red-tile roof.
—Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 1 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courtly
Adjective
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From romantic florals to elegant damasks and bucolic toile scenes, old-world wallpaper is making a grand and graceful return.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
-
That honest, messy middle—where ambition meets uncertainty and growth doesn’t always look graceful—has been essential in making Issa’s work so resonant and enduring.—
Essence,
Essence,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
And part of it was that face, the sort of Adonis-like mug that tips the scales from handsome to outright pretty.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
16 Sep. 2025
-
Being Birkin’s partner was an ego boost for Gainsbourg, who had never been conventionally handsome and whose heavy drinking and smoking had aged him prematurely.—
Anahid Nersessian,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Rows and rows of spacious houses with yards, everything new, tidy as can be imagined, with elegant transportation to and from the workplace right there—all for working people.—
Brian Domitrovic,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Posing next to Colman Domingo and Salma Hayek Pinault (who wore an elegant black Balenciaga suit dress), Moore’s glitzy look shone.—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The sharp-yet-flexible points and buildable tint leave behind a trio of micro-fine strokes that, when brushed along your arches, blend seamlessly with your natural hairs.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
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Before all that happened, though, there was the eight-course dinner, which went totally fine as predicted.—
Rafaela Bassili,
Vulture,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Is a royal reconciliation on the horizon for Prince Harry and King Charles III?—
Edward Segarra,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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His royal points were about 25 inches long and flat like butter knives.—
Jack Atcheson Sr. as told to Michael Hanback,
Outdoor Life,
11 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The experience of secession, of war, of industrial slaughter and gallant sacrifice, of Black soldiery and humanity all reforged Lincoln into a stronger alloy.—
Jack Sheehan
September 4,
Literary Hub,
4 Sep. 2025
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The pre-match tifo at the Roker End depicted the County Durham legend of the giant Lambton worm, slayed by a gallant local hero.—
Philip Buckingham,
New York Times,
17 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Courtly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtly. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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