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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of genteel
In Comfort or Bentley mode, the ride is expectedly genteel, the cabin poshly dressed in two-tone leather and new diamond quilting developed solely for this latest Speed variant.
—
Robb Report Contributors, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2025
Listen, random bro, Therese is busy lezzing out in an elegant and genteel ’60s manner.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Robb Report Contributors, Robb Report, 26 Dec. 2025
Listen, random bro, Therese is busy lezzing out in an elegant and genteel ’60s manner.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 25 Dec. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
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Tucked away off Lagos’ Admiralty Way main road, you’d be forgiven for mistaking its polite green exterior for something residential upon viewing.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Niall was upset but very polite.—
Andy Hoglund,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Denying them those opportunities in an attempt to punish their parents should be abhorrent to any civilized nation.—
Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Both expect their rivalry to stay civilized.—
Pien Huang,
NPR,
17 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Under the law, the remaining earls, viscounts and dukes who inherited their seats in the chamber along with their aristocratic titles will leave Parliament for good when the current session concludes this spring.—
Peter Weber,
TheWeek,
12 Mar. 2026
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On Tuesday night, members of the upper chamber dropped objections to legislation passed by the House of Commons ousting dozens of dukes, earls and viscounts who inherited seats in Parliament along with their aristocratic titles.—
Jill Lawless,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Even as nearly every impact name in the room around him received a nice handout from the Walton-Penner ownership group, Franklin-Myers continued to remain gracious to Denver and never careened around in public with his demands for a new contract.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
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Perhaps the most notable reply came from Crumbl itself, which took a gracious approach rather than a defensive one.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Unable to afford a proper burial, the victim’s husband and daughter have created a GoFundMe to help pay for services.—
Emma Seiwell,
New York Daily News,
12 Mar. 2026
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Other clips don’t even bother rendering a proper baby.—
Joe Wilkins Published Mar 12,
Futurism,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The end result is a cultured information of markets that supports thoughtful techniques, reliable forecasting and knowledgeable positioning without pointless complexity.—
Ascend Agency,
Mercury News,
3 Mar. 2026
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Marty is not cultured, colorful and neurotic with a penchant for Yiddish outbursts.—
David Colman,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Actually, tearjerkers, as a genre, are noble, albeit with a lousy reputation and a glib name for what is essentially an empathy machine that’s eager to streamline complicated emotions.—
Christopher Borrelli,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
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Ducks backup Ville Husso got the call against the club that drafted and developed him, making 32 of 35 saves in a noble showing.—
Andrew Knoll,
Oc Register,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While a hearing officer found her removal legally justified, Corpus’ civil grand jury removal case, which requires the higher bar of clear and convincing evidence, remains unresolved.—
Ryan Macasero,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
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And in 2024, after McGregor was found liable in a civil rape case, Proximo stopped using his name or likeness to promote the whiskey.—
Jonah Flicker,
Robb Report,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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