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

Relevance

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 Before the hustle and bustle, and grind, of the 2026 NFL season, Chiefs moms were treated to an elegant lunch and some great swag on Sunday at a luncheon hosted by Randi Mahomes. — Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 14 Sep. 2026 Soft neutral tones are lifted by a curved leather-and-wood headboard, striking blue wall art inspired by traditional Turkish textiles and elegant pendant lighting that gives the room warmth rather than hotel uniformity. — Vicki Power, TheWeek, 14 Sep. 2026 This five-bedroom Italianate house makes for an elegant home base for fall gatherings with friends, with ample room to spread out. — Madeline Weinfield, Vogue, 14 Sep. 2026 Toward the end of the show, a female model came trundling down the runway, adorned in one of the collection’s more elegant coats crafted from a buoyant faux fur. — Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 14 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for elegant

Recent Examples of Synonyms for elegant

Adjective

Urbanie Lucero’s choreography and movement direction maintain the production’s graceful poise.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2026
From curved pulls to squiggly handles, and even a style finished off with a metal tassel, these operate as graceful accessories to enhance old and new furnishings.

— Lori Keong, Architectural Digest, 10 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

Enter Darlene’s handsome grandson Matt (Buckley), a Chicago firefighter and die-hard Bears fan who, with a little gentle nudging from Darlene, agrees to show Avery what being part of Bears Nation is all about.

— Rick Porter, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
McDavid’s isolated stats show his line surrendered more goals but still delivered a handsome 54 percent share.

— Allan Mitchell, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Definition of handsome

Adjective

At low volume, failures are rare enough that the stakes are low.

— Shivansh Inamdar, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
But in a rare moment, the bosses of Anthropic, OpenAI and xAI have come together to support the view that the development of AI models should slow down amid growing fears over the technology's capacity to cause harm.

— Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of rare

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 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of elegant

adjective

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