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an elegant hotel
a luxurious hotel
a stylish hotel
an exquisite hotel
an exclusive hotel
elegant clothes
fancy clothes
glamorous clothes
classy clothes
graceful clothes
exquisite clothes
elegant prose
eloquent prose
beautiful prose
lovely prose

Synonym Chooser

How is the word elegant different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of elegant are choice, dainty, delicate, exquisite, and rare. While all these words mean "having qualities that appeal to a cultivated taste," elegant applies to what is rich and luxurious but restrained by good taste.

a sumptuous but elegant dining room

When is it sensible to use choice instead of elegant?

In some situations, the words choice and elegant are roughly equivalent. However, choice stresses preeminence in quality or kind.

choice fabric

Where would dainty be a reasonable alternative to elegant?

Although the words dainty and elegant have much in common, dainty sometimes carries an additional suggestion of smallness and of appeal to the eye or palate.

dainty sandwiches

When is delicate a more appropriate choice than elegant?

The meanings of delicate and elegant largely overlap; however, delicate implies exquisiteness, subtlety, and fragility.

delicate craftsmanship

When would exquisite be a good substitute for elegant?

While in some cases nearly identical to elegant, exquisite implies a perfection in workmanship or design that appeals only to very sensitive taste.

an exquisite gold bracelet

When might rare be a better fit than elegant?

While the synonyms rare and elegant are close in meaning, rare suggests an uncommon excellence.

rare beauty

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 elegant At first glance, the paper read like a scientific tour de force—an elegant fusion of medicine, mathematics, biochemistry, computational biology, and machine learning. Siddhartha Mukherjee, New Yorker, 16 June 2025 Like the stemmed version, these are elegant, shatter-proof, and hefty. Lauren Thomann, Better Homes & Gardens, 16 June 2025 And Just Like That… is, for lack of a more elegant term, so goddamn weird this season. Emma Bocchi, Vogue, 6 June 2025 The newest model continues to fuse advanced materials with Japanese craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology to create a timepiece that is durable, precise and elegant. Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for elegant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegant
Adjective
  • Audiences expect costume epics to be beautiful and kinetic – flying swords, graceful choreography.
    Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 17 June 2025
  • Simulating data poisoning, rare clinical conditions and system failures, then automating rollback triggers, ensures graceful degradation.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • Chalfant illustrates this in the film with exquisite subtlety, assuming by turns the disposition of a coy flirt and a take-charge kitchen taskmaster.
    Lisa Wong Macabasco, Vogue, 20 June 2025
  • This corner of the hotel transported me to an exquisite European hotel; the display bottles were Chinotto, Bitter Bianco, Sicilian Amara, and other spirits.
    Marcia DeSanctis, Travel + Leisure, 20 June 2025
Adjective
  • In 1923, the handsome thirty-one-year-old movie star Wallace Reid died from morphine and alcohol addiction.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 June 2025
  • All the Hamrick brothers are handsome, though in slightly different ways, like dogs born in different litters to the same purebred parents.
    David Sedaris, New Yorker, 23 June 2025
Adjective
  • And years after contracting measles, people can later develop subacute sclerosing panencephalitis, or SSPE, a rare but fatal complication resulting from a weakened form of the virus remaining in the body, and later infecting the brain.
    Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2025
  • So in our history, this is very rare, and the localization of that kind of violence, to me, is what’s different and new in many ways about this.
    Fiction Non Fiction June 26, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025
Adjective
  • All accommodations come with thoughtful touches like elevated mini-bar fare, Bellino fine linens, and plush, jewel-toned furniture.
    Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 21 June 2025
  • Passport: Explore the finest destinations and experiences around the world in the Forbes Passport newsletter.
    Lanee Lee, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Having refs or a select few of them have media availability would probably help folks understand the process a bit more.
    Chris Vannini, New York Times, 18 June 2025
  • Admission is free, and select Sunday games are livestreamed.
    Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Elegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegant. Accessed 2 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on elegant

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