1
as in polite
following the established traditions of refined society and good taste
those bygone days when young women were taught how to drink tea while wearing long gloves and other genteel ways of behaving
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in civilized
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living
she grew up in genteel old Savannah
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3
as in aristocratic
of high birth, rank, or station
the genteel ladies never mixed with the servants prohibited by reason of her genteel birth from marrying the man she loved
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4
as in gracious
showing consideration, courtesy, and good manners
his genteel gesture of holding the door for the ladies
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of genteel
But underneath this genteel surface are bitter divisions that erupted just as the institution struggled to recover from the worst event ever to happen on its campus, when Salman Rushdie was nearly killed onstage by a knife-wielding jihadist in August 2022.
—
Christopher Maag, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Visitors will find more than arcadian Constable landscapes and genteel Gainsborough portraits of aristocrats.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
There will be others who feel this level of passion is good for a sport that can be too genteel for some people’s tastes.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Bournemouth were portrayed as a fairytale; a small club from a genteel resort town on England’s south coast who climbed through the divisions playing their football in a tippy-tappy way, led by their youthful, clean-cut manager.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Christopher Maag, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2025
Visitors will find more than arcadian Constable landscapes and genteel Gainsborough portraits of aristocrats.
—Chadd Scott, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
There will be others who feel this level of passion is good for a sport that can be too genteel for some people’s tastes.
—Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 24 Mar. 2025
Bournemouth were portrayed as a fairytale; a small club from a genteel resort town on England’s south coast who climbed through the divisions playing their football in a tippy-tappy way, led by their youthful, clean-cut manager.
—George Caulkin, The Athletic, 13 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
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Instead, Storm reached the bottom rope to a polite pop from Glendale.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
26 May 2025
-
Sometimes the threat of a fine can produce better results than a polite request.—
Gary Singer,
Sun Sentinel,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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Exile away from the rest of the civilized federation.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
20 May 2025
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Two highly modern, eminently civilized nations were plunged into chaos.—
Kelly McKinney,
Twin Cities,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Historical memory Even before the conflict was over, aristocratic Anglican writers such as Sir Richard Musgrave spun the rebellion as an uprising of disgruntled Catholics.—
Joseph Patrick Kelly,
The Conversation,
20 May 2025
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Just six years ago, the Times Square Alliance temporarily installed a similarly monumental statue by the artist Kehinde Wiley, who rose to stardom for his aristocratic portraits of contemporary Black people.—
Andrew Keh,
New York Times,
18 May 2025
Adjective
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Its three-stateroom design lets owners and guests can enjoy weekend cruising, while the exterior promotes gracious outdoor living in the large beach-club area, or up on the sport bridge.—
Julia Zaltzman,
Robb Report,
28 May 2025
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But Bill Fox fans are a kind of a tribe, and Hagan was as gracious as could be.—
Nate Rogers,
Vulture,
22 May 2025
Adjective
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But on March 1, 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower issued a proclamation on the proper times.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 May 2025
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Cabinet hardware jigs vary slightly in design, so follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper use.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
26 May 2025
Adjective
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The development is a big step forward in the world of cultured meat—meat grown from animal cells instead of animals.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
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Yogurt is created with cultured bacteria and kefir with kefir grains (live cultures that ferment milk and multiply).—
Amber J. Tresca,
Verywell Health,
6 May 2025
Adjective
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Which one of her books was turned into a 1995 film directed by Ang Lee, from a script written by Emma Thompson? 2 of 5 What is the name of the series that adapts Julia Quinn’s Regency-era romance novels about eight siblings in a noble family and their adventures in London’s high-society world?—
J. D. Biersdorfer,
New York Times,
19 May 2025
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Follows Anton Abildgaard, a noble cavalry officer hoping to complete his military training with distinction.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
16 May 2025
Adjective
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The appeal -- as well as the ongoing appeal of Trump's $83 million judgment in the E. Jean Carroll civil case and half-billion-dollar civil fraud case -- is proceeding on uncharted legal grounds as Trump wields the power of the presidency in his defense.—
Peter Charalambous,
ABC News,
30 May 2025
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Potential Witnesses Harve Pierre Former president of Bad Boy Records Harve Pierre has been named in lawsuits alongside Diddy, including at least three civil lawsuits, including the one filed by Dawn Richard.—
Janeé Bolden,
HollywoodReporter,
30 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.
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