TACTFUL Synonyms: 59 Similar and Opposite Words

tactful

adjective

ˈtakt-fəl

Definition of tactful

as in politic

having or showing tact tried to be tactful when asked to critique her friend's singing

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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 tactful Even during the tactful decades of Finlandization, the adversary was obvious. — Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026 The tactful way to teach them requires refraining from criticizing their parents, which will be a struggle. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 23 Feb. 2026 The boutique seller quoted earlier in the article is slightly less tactful. — Max Goldbart, Deadline, 17 Feb. 2026 Coach Erik Spoelstra was a bit more tactful while offering similar sentiment. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tactful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tactful

Adjective

Coaxing out his talents fell to a more politic peer.

— Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 22 June 2026
What’s depicted focuses on the advances these early feminists made at the school and in society, and the personal tensions between the relentlessly radical Marks and the more politic Woolley.

— Manuel Mendoza, Dallas Morning News, 19 Feb. 2026

Definition of politic

Adjective

Is there a kind and polite way to tell this gentleman to stop telling me jokes?

— Eric Thomas, Sun Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026
In the end, voters are choosing people for important jobs that don’t come with polite moderators and audience applause cues.

— Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of polite

Adjective

Any diplomatic resolution at this point would leave it vulnerable to charges that the United States paid a great deal for an outcome that left the country and the region worse off—and Iran better off—than before Washington initiated the war.

— RICHARD HAASS, Foreign Affairs, 23 Sep. 2026
What begins as an awkward diplomatic retreat descends into humiliation, manipulation, and psychological power games.

— Annika Pham, Variety, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of diplomatic

Adjective

Judges thanked the audience for maintaining a respectful decorum for an intense and sensitive case.

— Jen Guadarrama, IndyStar, 21 Sep. 2026
Whomever the Black citizens of Los Angeles are voting for, their respectful depiction is a rare departure from the usual screen stereotypes of the 1930s.

— Thomas Doherty, HollywoodReporter, 19 Sep. 2026

Definition of respectful

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“Tactful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tactful. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of tactful

adjective

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