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genteel definition

gen·teel (jen tēl′)

adjective

  1. Old-fashioned having or showing the good taste and refinement associated with polite society; elegant, fashionable, etc.
  2. excessively or affectedly refined, polite, etc.

Etymology: < Fr gentil (of same orig. as gentle & jaunty, but borrowed again in 16th c.)

Related Forms:

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

genteel Synonyms

genteel

modif.

  1. Polite

    courteous, mannerly, well-behaved; see polite 1.

  2. Elegant

    polished, cultured, well-bred; see refined 2.

  3. Refined, but mannered and pompous

    affected, pretentious, formal, prim, mannered, mincing, artificial, hollow, conventional, imitative, la-di-da*.

    Antonyms honest*, genuine*, cultured.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

genteel Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • ambiance: This relaxing resort is becoming a bit busier as popularity grows, but it still boasts a genteel ambiance and a lovely location.

Modifying Another Word

  • rather: Hua Hin gives off an air of being a rather genteel resort with a quiet ambiance.

Used with adjective complement

  • seem: Of adp's industry seem genteel compared far enough.
genteel usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

genteel quotes

A man, indeed, is not genteel when he gets drunk; but most vicesmay be committed verygenteelly: a manmay debauch his friend's wife genteelly: he may cheat at cardsgenteelly.

-Boswell,James

What all men should avoid is the'shabby genteel'. No man ever gets over it† You had better be in rags.

-Disraeli, Benjamin, 1st Earl of Beaconsfield

Her occasional pretty and picturesque use of dialect wordsöthose terrible marks of the beast to the truly genteel.

-Hardy,Thomas

genteel quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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  • Your Dictionary. 4 July 2009
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genteel. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 4th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/genteel

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