Word of the Day

: August 6, 2023

debonair

adjective deb-uh-NAIR

What It Means

Debonair describes someone who may, by definition, also be called fashionable, attractive, and confident.

// Now a professional dancer himself, Raul remembers idolizing Gene Kelly, Gregory Hines, and other debonair performers as a child.

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debonair in Context

“By trade, Malik Afegbua is an accomplished filmmaker. He is currently working on a Netflix docudrama about Nigerian textile designer and global fashion icon Nike Davies-Okundaye. … Recently, his artificial intelligence (AI) generated Fashion Show for Elders broke the internet and garnered international press coverage with its stunning images of debonair elders owning the runway.” — Ebony Flake, Essence, 20 Jan. 2023

Did You Know?

Calling someone debonair is another way of saying they’ve got a certain je ne sais quoi, or to be more specific (and complete the rhyme): savoir faire. Ooh la la! If this all sounds ultra chic to you, you’re not alone. French has a certain cachet, a fanciness and prestige owing in part to its deep etymological, historical, and political connections with English. This extends to many French words that English has borrowed outright or adapted, including debonair. In Anglo-French, someone who was genteel and thought to be well-brought-up was described as deboneire—literally “of good family or nature” (from the three-word phrase de bon aire). When the word was borrowed into English in the 13th century, it basically meant “courteous,” but today’s debonair incorporates suaveness, nonchalance, and maybe even a soupçon of esprit (carefree sophistication with a dash of wit).