well-bred

adjective

ˈwel-ˈbred How to pronounce well-bred (audio)
Definition of well-brednext
as in polite
showing consideration, courtesy, and good manners a well-bred young woman who is unfailingly polite to everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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 well-bred As the sun set on the gentlemanly era of relationship banking, Wall Street needed to recruit huge numbers of the most talented—not just well-bred or best-connected—bankers to keep up. — Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-bred
  1. polite
  2. gracious
  3. civil
Adjective
  • Those records show that throughout the ER trips, Henry Ford employees and ambulance workers generally found Tingley cooperative and polite.
    — Jordan Rau, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The community nurse hadn’t even bothered to rewrite it, and the polite doctor simply stamped under her amendments.
    — Alicja Turczyk, The Dial, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of polite
Adjective
  • Many accommodations here have private patios, adding to the feeling of staying in a gracious island home rather than a conventional hotel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Stay at the gracious Hatchery House Bed-and-Breakfast in Weston.
    — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of gracious
Adjective
  • The wedding weekend began on Thursday, September 24—exactly three years after their first real date—with the civil ceremony in Montalcino, which was attended only by their closest family and friends.
    — Liam Hess, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
  • McGuire did his undergraduate work in bioresource and agricultural engineering and earned a master’s degree in civil engineering.
    — Graham Womack, Sacbee.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of civil

Browse Nearby Words

wellborn
well-bred
well-conditioned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Well-bred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-bred. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

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