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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of genteel
Even much of the criticism of Musk was relatively genteel.
—
Jake Lahut, Wired News, 6 June 2025
Irving Thalberg, born in 1899, grew up in the genteel Brooklyn of German-Jewish doctors and rabbis, a world apart from Mayer’s rougher caste of Eastern European Jews hustling for scrap metal in cold maritime Canada.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
In its early days, it was reviled by some critics as a jarring intrusion on the genteel Georgian symmetry of the square.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 7 June 2025
On April 7th, as a cold rain fell on Washington, a couple of hundred people gathered in a hotel ballroom near Dupont Circle, in a spirit of genteel resistance.
—Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Jake Lahut, Wired News, 6 June 2025
Irving Thalberg, born in 1899, grew up in the genteel Brooklyn of German-Jewish doctors and rabbis, a world apart from Mayer’s rougher caste of Eastern European Jews hustling for scrap metal in cold maritime Canada.
—Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
In its early days, it was reviled by some critics as a jarring intrusion on the genteel Georgian symmetry of the square.
—Mark Landler, New York Times, 7 June 2025
On April 7th, as a cold rain fell on Washington, a couple of hundred people gathered in a hotel ballroom near Dupont Circle, in a spirit of genteel resistance.
—Evan Osnos, New Yorker, 26 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
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Anne Hathaway’s Lureen, all rodeo sparkle and small-town ambition, is Jack’s half-hearted refuge; her final scene is a master class in polite denial, her eyes steel behind a frosty Texas drawl.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
27 June 2025
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Fittingly, a green laser shined out into the crowd as attendees turned from polite listeners to a rowdy mosh pit, singing every word.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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In Families Like Ours, the slowly rising North Sea forces Denmark to follow Holland’s example and—in an orderly and civilized manner—evacuate the entire country.—
Air Mail,
Air Mail,
21 June 2025
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In civilized countries, law enforcement officers wear nametags and numbered badges.—
Reader Commentary,
Baltimore Sun,
8 June 2025
Adjective
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Unlike many royal spouses of the past, Princess Kate wasn't born into an aristocratic family with nobility or royal titles.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
6 July 2025
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In an aristocratic residence near Cassis on the Mediterranean coast, Camp Joli is prepping itself for its second season.—
Chrissie McClatchie,
Travel + Leisure,
6 July 2025
Adjective
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For some science, the discoveries will be limited by whatever the sky is gracious enough to give—a star must explode for the Rubin Observatory to spot a new supernova, for example.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
1 July 2025
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Miss Manners is certain that your heartfelt gratitude, in the form of a gracious and appreciative handwritten letter, will be thanks enough.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
27 June 2025
Adjective
-
The potential disasters of treating art like traditional investments far outweigh the cost of proper planning.—
Matthew F. Erskine,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
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Eggs themselves are not a source of collagen—but the egg white specifically contains proline and glycine, two essential amino acids for proper collagen production.—
Alessandra Signorelli,
Vogue,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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New money families fought for their place at the table with old money institutions by throwing undeniably elegant balls (with the proper soup) and funding irresistibly cultured opera houses (with the proper spectators).—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
12 June 2025
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Goldwyn continued to crave the skills of savvy, street-smart writers like Hellman, the kind of intellect who might elevate an industry many cultured people still looked down their nose at.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
24 June 2025
Adjective
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Royal titles are reserved for those born into or marrying into the family, while dukedoms and other noble titles are passed down through a family or granted by the reigning monarch.—
Stephanie Petit,
People.com,
6 July 2025
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He’s covered in sweat and using a scrap of cardboard as a fan—not for himself, but for the tides of people who pass him, in a noble effort to keep them cool.—
Richard Collett,
Saveur,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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Soon after Trump took office, senior administration officials rescinded the policy, allowing agents to detain people, including family members, for civil immigration violations at courthouses.—
Eduardo Cuevas,
USA Today,
4 July 2025
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Now, emerging issues abroad such as the Israel-Iran conflict and at home, like the attacks on politicians and ongoing civil unrest over immigration enforcement actions, have all caused ripple effects in New York City.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 15 Jul. 2025.
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