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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 The four-network wheel was an elegant solution for its time. Michael Schneider, Variety, 5 Sep. 2025 Known for her elegant taste, Mellon (wife of banking heir Paul Mellon) was quite the garden savant—in fact, she was tapped to redesign the White House Rose Garden by JFK in 1961, among other ventures. Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 5 Sep. 2025 The hinges are an elegant solution—all the mechanisms are hidden from sight—and rotating the screen is simple. PC Magazine, 5 Sep. 2025 Filled with tender onion and soft goat cheese and nestled in a pool of Gruyère sauce, his elegant riff seemed true to classic French technique yet unconstrained by it. Megan Zhang, Saveur, 4 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for elegant
Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegant
Adjective
  • 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
  • Pieces includes such exquisite gemstones as a 79 carat aquamarine, pink sapphires, tsavorites, cabochon rubellites and diamonds.
    Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
  • The rapper donned an exquisite gown by Gianni Versace sourced from Timeless Vixen, based in Beverly Hills, California.
    Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Stars have been everywhere this week, Prince Harry looks handsome as ever while in London, while Lindsay Lohan and husband Bader Shammas meet with Tim Meadows at the US Open in New York.
    Toria Sheffield, PEOPLE, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Anderson’s latest sees DiCaprio in a much less handsome light than audiences are accustomed to.
    Marc Malkin, Variety, 9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Lisa, 28, wore a black maxi dress with cutouts, and paired the look with an extremely rare Hermès Birkin while in South Korea's capital city.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Hundreds of thousands of people face rare summer frost alerts on Thursday morning as temperatures plummet.
    Matthew Robinson, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • New Jersey's finest, Joe and Melissa Gorga, also showed up and showed out.
    Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
  • The brand’s categories include women’s ready-to-wear, shoes, bags, accessories and fine jewelry at contemporary price points.
    WWD Staff, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • New players in select states (MI, NJ, PA and WV) will get the $150 bonus offer to start.
    Tyler Everett, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Sep. 2025
  • And for those who enjoy the in-store shopping experience, select Party City locations nationwide continue to welcome customers who want to browse and pick up their party supplies in person.
    Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Elegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegant. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on elegant

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