1
as in polite
following the established traditions of refined society and good taste
those bygone days when young women were taught how to drink tea while wearing long gloves and other genteel ways of behaving
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2
as in civilized
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living
she grew up in genteel old Savannah
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3
as in aristocratic
of high birth, rank, or station
the genteel ladies never mixed with the servants prohibited by reason of her genteel birth from marrying the man she loved
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4
as in gracious
showing consideration, courtesy, and good manners
his genteel gesture of holding the door for the ladies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of genteel
Kirchner and others, who’d met in the PauseAI Discord server, thought that that genteel approach was insufficient.
—
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
Starring Miami Vice legend Don Johnson as the genteel Captain Robert Massey, Doctor Odyssey made waves for its provocative inclusion of a throuple at the core of the drama.
—Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Dec. 2025
Photography was not an unusual hobby for a young woman of her milieu, and many of Austen’s early images depict a world of genteel Victorian amusements—parties gathered on porches and scenic overlooks, happy pugs, sunny days in leg-of-mutton sleeves.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
The series offers Whitford his latest opportunity to express general bemusement with the American political process, this time sporting a bushy white beard, and Whigham his latest opportunity to be an uncouth bull in an otherwise genteel china shop.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
Starring Miami Vice legend Don Johnson as the genteel Captain Robert Massey, Doctor Odyssey made waves for its provocative inclusion of a throuple at the core of the drama.
—Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Dec. 2025
Photography was not an unusual hobby for a young woman of her milieu, and many of Austen’s early images depict a world of genteel Victorian amusements—parties gathered on porches and scenic overlooks, happy pugs, sunny days in leg-of-mutton sleeves.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
The series offers Whitford his latest opportunity to express general bemusement with the American political process, this time sporting a bushy white beard, and Whigham his latest opportunity to be an uncouth bull in an otherwise genteel china shop.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
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At the center of it was Catherine, vividly sending up an entire genre of the show-business underbelly that no one ever referenced on polite middle-American network television.—
Merrill Markoe,
Rolling Stone,
1 Feb. 2026
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And even then, it was couched in the polite, ambiguous language.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
31 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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There is a much more civilized way to do this that involves working together with state officials opposed to inserting the administration’s will on a state whose citizens have stood up for their neighbors and said this is not right!—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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But thousands of others travel to the civilized confines of Pasadena, California, to volunteer for the Rose Parade.—
Michael Goldstein,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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While retaining an old-school, aristocratic vibe, Adare's fanciful gargoyles, genuinely warm staff, grand and intimate spaces, and super-comfortable rooms make it somewhere uniquely and unabashedly the Ireland of now.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Jan. 2026
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His aristocratic taste inherited ideas of beauty and old European style, rather than innovating with new trends.—
Jye Marshall,
Fortune,
22 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Through gracious moves and quiet motion, his presence adds more drama to a simple image.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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My colleagues were more than gracious enough to take some time out of their day to taste-test copious amounts of chocolate.—
Nicole Hoey,
Robb Report,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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This neighborhood was not as grand as Harlem proper, but everyone who hung their hat here knew its allure.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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Combined with proper nutrition, exercise creates lasting results, not quick fixes.—
Fred Sassani,
Austin American Statesman,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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With Raffles, Wanders has created a property that oozes a quiet, cultured elegance that mirrors the city’s erudite aspirations.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Jan. 2026
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The health secretary, who turned 72 this month and celebrated with a hefty steak, pairs the diet with foods that are fermented, typically meaning they are soaked, salted or cultured to let natural bacteria or yeast break down sugars over time.—
Deirdre Bardolf,
FOXNews.com,
24 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And all these noble lords can’t even remember his name.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
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Picture a bunch of people descending in private jets to eat steak and appear on panels about alleviating poverty and fighting climate change (among other noble goals), while clinking cocktail glasses with other fellow rich people in an effort to make one another even richer.—
Allison Morrow,
CNN Money,
21 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Israel’s Coordinator for Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT), which oversees humanitarian and civil efforts in Gaza, said the crossing will be open to the public starting Monday morning, but only in a limited capacity, allowing roughly 150 people per day to cross.—
Anders Hagstrom,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
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Later on, Cabey—who is reportedly still alive, though not well—won a civil judgment of $43 million from Goetz, who declared bankruptcy and never gave him a cent.—
Christopher Bonanos,
Curbed,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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