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).
Examples of debonair in a Sentence
G. Y. Dryansky, Condé Nast Traveler, November 1994
Cary Grant is the center of the action and, at this pivotal point in his career, he is suspended between the heroic and the debonair.
—Andrew Sarris, Video Review, September 1990
Wyndham Lewis arrived for a stay in Paris and he was a different man from the Lewis of London. He was free and easy and debonair.
—Robert McAlmon et al., Being Geniuses Together, (1938) 1968
a debonair man in a suit and top hat
his debonair dismissal of my inquiry concerning his financial situation led me to believe that nothing was wrong
David Daniel, CNN Money, 15 Apr. 2025
After wrapping up his nine-season run as the debonair, suave super lawyer on the USA drama Suits in 2019, Macht intentionally stepped away from acting in order to refocus his attention on spending more time with his family and raising his two young children.
—Max Gao, HollywoodReporter, 11 Apr. 2025
Jaguar, the storied marque that brought us the debonair D-Type and the elegantly proper XJ6—and whose devoted fans ranged from Queen Elizabeth II to the getaway driver of the infamous Great Train Robbery in 1963—unveiled a radical rebranding in December during Miami Art Week.
—Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 8 Mar. 2025
One key moment included A$AP Rocky who showed up to the Miu Miu presentation in a debonair outfit.
—Robyn Mowatt, Essence, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for debonair
Cite this Entry
“Debonair.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/debonair. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
debonair
adjective
Middle English debonere "courteous, debonair," from early French deboneire (same meaning), from earlier phrase de bon aire "of good family"
Share