ELEGANT Synonyms: 160 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

Q: 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

elegant

adjective

ˈe-li-gənt

Definition of elegant

as in graceful

having or showing elegance the most elegant First Lady in the nation's history the bride's elegant gown received nothing but praise

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in exquisite

having qualities that appeal to a refined taste prepared an elegant dinner for the honored guests

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 serums that made the cut had elegant textures that absorbed easily without feeling sticky, greasy, or heavy. — Sheryl George, Glamour, 2 Sep. 2026 Lucky for me, Spanx’s Labor Day weekend sale begins today and has deals on wrinkle-resistant bottoms, elegant jumpsuits, and more for my fall trips. — Melony Forcier, Travel + Leisure, 2 Sep. 2026 In outline, these are elegant Bond-villain machines for faceless, leaderless, pervasive espionage and assassination, the stuff of paranoid nightmares and stochastic violence. — Finn Brunton, Harpers Magazine, 1 Sep. 2026 Some nail artists take the trend in an elegant direction, with shades of silver, gold, and champagne, while others lean more playful, with pops of fuchsia, olive green, and teal. — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 1 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elegant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegant

Adjective

As a young and impressionable onlooker, Dzeko looked huge (at 6ft 4in/193cm) yet so graceful on the ball.

— Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
Bryan Singer’s ingenious thriller is both a graceful callback to ’50s potboilers and a savage modernization of them.

— Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of graceful

Adjective

An outpost of the Milanese hotspot, the Italian eatery offers fine dining in exquisite surroundings.

— Lilah Ramzi, Vogue, 4 Sep. 2026
In Barbara Forever, an exquisite new documentary by Brydie O’Connor, there’s even old, grainy footage of Hammer essentially saying as much before a screening of her films.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of exquisite

Adjective

The tower stands, a handsome ruin and a relic of a more optimistic age.

— Justin Davidson, Curbed, 2 Sep. 2026
On the eve of her 30th birthday, a rare night out leads her to Boyd Davenport (Noah Fearnley), handsome, heir to a billionaire family fortune and Nashville’s most eligible bachelor.

— Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of handsome

Adjective

On September 1, Claire Stoermer shared a rare childhood photo of her daughter to celebrate the milestone.

— Hannah Malach, InStyle, 2 Sep. 2026
If the event detected by this team was caused by the rare interaction between two WIMPs, this would tell scientists some things about these currently hypothetical particles.

— Robert Lea, Space.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of rare

Adjective

Crafted from the finest, lightest tweed, the dress—chosen by stylist Ramona Tabita—features a sumptuous knotted structure that opens into a generous back neckline and culminates in a majestic train that skims the red carpet.

— Giacomo Aricò, Vogue, 5 Sep. 2026
She’s played with a darkly enigmatic, unnerving quality by James in her finest work to date — a knowing, even domineering smile often curling around her lips.

— Tomris Laffly, Variety, 5 Sep. 2026

Definition of fine

Adjective

The Big Ten added live audio and video from its replay review command center this season, but only for select Friday games.

— Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Daniel West’s adaptation hits the major plot points and select lines of dialogue, but has typically, unavoidably, been streamlined and compressed.

— Robert Lloyd, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of select

Browse Nearby Words

elegancy

elegant

elegantly

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“Elegant.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/elegant. Accessed 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of elegant

adjective

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