finely

adverb

fine·​ly ˈfīn-lē 

: in a fine manner: such as

a

: extremely well : excellently

… plays the hero very finely.

—New Yorker

b

: with close discrimination : precisely

c

: with delicacy or subtlety : sensitively

a leader finely attuned to the needs of the people

d

: minutely

finely ground coffee

Examples of finely in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

When all are well mixed, pour on the boiling Ale by degrees, beating up the mixture continually; then pour it rapidly backward and forward from one jug to another, keeping one jug raised high above the other; till the flip is smooth and finely frothed. —Jay R. Brooks, Mercury News, 30 Mar. 2026

The process of designing and engineering cars has been finely honed by automakers over the decades, even as computer technology has revolutionized the industry and safety standards and requirements strengthened. —Eileen Falkenberg-Hull, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Mar. 2026

Make a few extra passes with very light pressure, switching each side with each pass to hone the edge evenly, or use a honing rod to finely align the edge after sharpening. —Jesse Raub, Bon Appetit Magazine, 30 Mar. 2026

The grass is freshly mowed, the dirt and chalk lines finely groomed. —Michael McGough, Sacbee.com, 26 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1552, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for finely

• benignly
• divinely