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
But underneath this genteel surface are bitter divisions that erupted just as the institution struggled to recover from the worst event ever to happen on its campus, when Salman Rushdie was nearly killed onstage by a knife-wielding jihadist in August 2022.
—
Christopher Maag, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Visitors will find more than arcadian Constable landscapes and genteel Gainsborough portraits of aristocrats.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
There will be others who feel this level of passion is good for a sport that can be too genteel for some people’s tastes.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Bournemouth were portrayed as a fairytale; a small club from a genteel resort town on England’s south coast who climbed through the divisions playing their football in a tippy-tappy way, led by their youthful, clean-cut manager.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Christopher Maag, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Visitors will find more than arcadian Constable landscapes and genteel Gainsborough portraits of aristocrats.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
There will be others who feel this level of passion is good for a sport that can be too genteel for some people’s tastes.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Bournemouth were portrayed as a fairytale; a small club from a genteel resort town on England’s south coast who climbed through the divisions playing their football in a tippy-tappy way, led by their youthful, clean-cut manager.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
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This case involves the Hatchet Girls, a cult that follows a bloodthirsty leader intent on giving polite society hell.—
Chris Vognar,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2025
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What is a polite way to refuse a hug with friends or strangers?—
Judith Martin,
The Orlando Sentinel,
10 May 2025
Adjective
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Two highly modern, eminently civilized nations were plunged into chaos.—
Kelly McKinney,
Chicago Tribune,
12 May 2025
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International good faith, a sister of democracy, springs from the will of civilized nations of men to respect the rights and liberties of other nations of men.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Historical memory Even before the conflict was over, aristocratic Anglican writers such as Sir Richard Musgrave spun the rebellion as an uprising of disgruntled Catholics.—
Joseph Patrick Kelly,
The Conversation,
20 May 2025
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Just six years ago, the Times Square Alliance temporarily installed a similarly monumental statue by the artist Kehinde Wiley, who rose to stardom for his aristocratic portraits of contemporary Black people.—
Andrew Keh,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Perry was also quite gracious when another fan in the crowd handed her an album to sign.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
14 May 2025
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And yet when people need a portal into or proxy for spiritual awakening, Alice Coltrane’s music often becomes integral, a newfound household name, because her staggered textures are gracious enough to accommodate both the ascetic and the philistine.—
Harmony Holiday,
Los Angeles Times,
29 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Cabinet hardware jigs vary slightly in design, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper use.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 May 2025
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But on March 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation on the proper times.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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Yogurt is created with cultured bacteria and kefir with kefir grains (live cultures that ferment milk and multiply).—
Amber J. Tresca,
Verywell Health,
6 May 2025
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Molina presented herself as a successful entrepreneur, cultured and generous, and never hesitated to shower Ana with praise.—
Isabella Wandermurem,
Time,
1 May 2025
Adjective
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Which one of her books was turned into a 1995 film directed by Ang Lee, from a script written by Emma Thompson? 2 of 5 What is the name of the series that adapts Julia Quinn’s Regency-era romance novels about eight siblings in a noble family and their adventures in London’s high-society world?—
J. D. Biersdorfer,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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The Idol was almost a noble failure, a psychically damaging look into the pop ecosystem that had the decency to fictionalize rather than mythologize its star.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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Coleman, a reverend and attorney, who devoted his life to fighting civil injustices and easing the burdens of those around him, died on May 9 from leukemia.—
J.M. Banks,
Kansas City Star,
18 May 2025
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They wed in a civil ceremony in the Farbers’ Brooklyn Heights apartment on Aug. 28, 2004.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 29 May. 2025.
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