as in civilized
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living
he's remarkably couth for someone who grew up in a small town with limited cultural opportunities
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in accomplishment
a high level of taste and enlightenment as a result of extensive intellectual training and exposure to the arts
their future son-in-law's lack of couth was of some concern to this patrician couple
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 couth
Alexandra Hall, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 May 2023
Even some of Durant’s Warriors’ teammates manifested their artsiness in less-than-couth ways.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 11 June 2019
Noun
And a cluster of unquestionably lovely businesses have been bolstering the towns’ dreamy ideal since the ‘70s—couth spots like The White Barn Inn, and Ocean at The Cape Arundel Inn, both perfect for Muffy and Chip to get G&Ts between croquet and a dependably exquisite prix fixe.
—Alexandra Hall, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 May 2023
Even some of Durant’s Warriors’ teammates manifested their artsiness in less-than-couth ways.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 11 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for couth
Adjective
-
But the specific French dispensation—the idea that a man’s erotic life exists outside the moral world of his other obligations, that the wife and the mistress are a civilized arrangement, that desire is sovereign—this mythology did not make the crossing with me, or did not survive it intact.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 May 2026
-
The 2026 draft footprint stretched across Point State Park and Acrisure Stadium (still Heinz Field in the hearts of civilized people) and by the end of the weekend, the city had hosted one of the biggest football parties in human history.—
Dan Zaksheske OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Musk promoted the accomplishment on Twitter.—
Ashley Capoot,Lora Kolodny,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
-
For many students, graduation is a chance to celebrate an accomplishment and begin a new chapter.—
John Ramos,
CBS News,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Build out your pearl collection with the cultured finds below.—
Jake Henry Smith,
Glamour,
18 May 2026
-
Once the roads open and the Miura’s tachometer sweeps past 4,000 rpm, your ears are nourished by a cultured snarl that builds to a hammering roar.—
Tim Pitt,
Robb Report,
18 May 2026
Noun
-
Stone tools could end civilization—all of it, permanently, forever.—
Caroline Rose Giuliani,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
-
This confrontation between these two men says something about human civilization and its two faces.—
Elsa Keslassy,
Variety,
17 May 2026
Noun
-
Whether that was Florida officials flying into Oxford for a visit during a bye-week, or Kiffin engaging with LSU officials in different manners over the final few weeks of the Rebels' regular season.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
-
Over the course of 18 months, Jackie and Laura will coach Natty on all the necessary skills to become a big-league service dog, including good manners and basic cues, all while maintaining a healthy diet on food provided by program partner, Eukanuba.—
Drew Pittock,
USA Today,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
But Carey doesn’t know if the culture of higher education can accommodate that type of emergency thinking.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
19 May 2026
-
Out and about With leafy Green Park on one side and Piccadilly on the other, this grande dame is within striking distance of many of London’s top sights, culture and shops.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
19 May 2026
Noun
-
The Disappearing Path To Expertise Expertise is developed through repetition, failure and refinement, in the industry career path.—
Victor Fang,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
-
Removing the thorns may help our favorite novels appeal to a wider audience, but such refinements make art feel as lifeless as Catherine Linton’s corpse at the end of Emerald Fennell’s film.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 May 2026
Noun
-
When Bloomberg, a strong proponent of education reform, was seeking to increase the number of charter schools in the city, Jeffries co-sponsored a bill that more than doubled the state’s charter-school cap.—
Jason Zengerle,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
-
The bildungsroman was a staple of my school and college literary education.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Couth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/couth. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
