as in graceful
having or showing elegance
his courtly manners made him a favorite escort of widowed socialites
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Recent Examples of courtly
The courtly Time-magazine essayist who described the American Century with wit, outrage, and wry wisdom
By Roger Rosenblatt
Read On
The Seasoned Traveler
Enrique Olvera The Mexican chef behind Cosme and Pujol reveals his travel routine
Read On
Going Anywhere Soon?
—
airmail.news, 7 Dec. 2024
In the video, guests dressed for an Instagrammable, Regency-era ball, while an orchestra played music for courtly dances and Lopez sat on a throne, holding court as her own version of Queen Charlotte.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 25 July 2024
From there, ravioli made its way into the courtly kitchens of the northern provinces.
—Dawn Davis Sharon Radisch Soneela Nankani Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 13 May 2024
At 21, George crossed paths with James I, who also ruled Scotland as King James VI, in August 1614 at Apethorpe, a courtly home in rural Northamptonshire.
—TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for courtly
airmail.news, 7 Dec. 2024
In the video, guests dressed for an Instagrammable, Regency-era ball, while an orchestra played music for courtly dances and Lopez sat on a throne, holding court as her own version of Queen Charlotte.
—Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 25 July 2024
From there, ravioli made its way into the courtly kitchens of the northern provinces.
—Dawn Davis Sharon Radisch Soneela Nankani Emma Kehlbeck Joel Thibodeau, New York Times, 13 May 2024
At 21, George crossed paths with James I, who also ruled Scotland as King James VI, in August 1614 at Apethorpe, a courtly home in rural Northamptonshire.
—TIME, 5 Apr. 2024
See All Example Sentences for courtly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for courtly
Adjective
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Roan often wears her hair down in soft red ringlets letting her bangs fall loose for a naturally graceful, modern look.—
Irene Coltrinari,
Vogue,
1 Apr. 2025
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He’s built like a wrestler, but graceful, too, an experienced kickboxer with a trademark, face-smashing spinning back-kick.—
John DeVore,
Rolling Stone,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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Comments The handsome, prickly, and soulful Val Kilmer died from pneumonia on Tuesday after an 11-year struggle with throat cancer.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
2 Apr. 2025
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The actor, who died Tuesday at age 65, was movie-star handsome at 46.—
Marco della Cava,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Many reviews praised Fitzgerald’s elegant prose but dismissed the book’s literary significance.—
Nick Woltman,
Twin Cities,
5 Apr. 2025
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However, Rosewood Baha Mar is arguably the most elegant, drawing a more discerning and spendy crowd.—
Denny Lee,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And written by two of the finest Canadian imports in the TV game: Justified creator Graham Yost and Moira Walley-Beckett, who wrote the Breaking Bad installment Rolling Stone once dubbed the best episode in television history.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
10 Apr. 2025
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Passport: Explore the finest destinations and experiences around the world in the Forbes Passport newsletter.—
Stephanie Gravalese,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Straughan trusts that the machinations of this notorious royal adviser and his king’s marital fecklessness, the consequences of which are still with us five centuries later, are fascinating enough on their own.—
Inkoo Kang,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2025
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The royal family marked its first Mothering Sunday without Queen Elizabeth in March 2023 and the King's team honored the late Queen Elizabeth and Queen Camilla's late mother in its signature tribute.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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An elaborate ideology confers legitimacy upon the Kim family: according to the country’s founding myth, Kim Il Sung led a gallant band of guerilla fighters in the bitter winds of Manchuria to defeat the Japanese, liberate the Korean people, and establish the North Korean state.—
JENNIFER LIND,
Foreign Affairs,
25 Oct. 2010
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In stereotypical movies, the gallant hero saves the damsel through daring, dramatic action.—
Amanda Nguyen,
TIME,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Courtly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/courtly. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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