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
Kirchner and others, who’d met in the PauseAI Discord server, thought that that genteel approach was insufficient.
—
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
Starring Miami Vice legend Don Johnson as the genteel Captain Robert Massey, Doctor Odyssey made waves for its provocative inclusion of a throuple at the core of the drama.
—Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Dec. 2025
Photography was not an unusual hobby for a young woman of her milieu, and many of Austen’s early images depict a world of genteel Victorian amusements—parties gathered on porches and scenic overlooks, happy pugs, sunny days in leg-of-mutton sleeves.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
The series offers Whitford his latest opportunity to express general bemusement with the American political process, this time sporting a bushy white beard, and Whigham his latest opportunity to be an uncouth bull in an otherwise genteel china shop.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 4 Dec. 2025
Starring Miami Vice legend Don Johnson as the genteel Captain Robert Massey, Doctor Odyssey made waves for its provocative inclusion of a throuple at the core of the drama.
—Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 3 Dec. 2025
Photography was not an unusual hobby for a young woman of her milieu, and many of Austen’s early images depict a world of genteel Victorian amusements—parties gathered on porches and scenic overlooks, happy pugs, sunny days in leg-of-mutton sleeves.
—Molly Fischer, New Yorker, 22 Nov. 2025
The series offers Whitford his latest opportunity to express general bemusement with the American political process, this time sporting a bushy white beard, and Whigham his latest opportunity to be an uncouth bull in an otherwise genteel china shop.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 6 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
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Jim Dickinson stepped in to produce and play a little piano, but Travis deemed the results too polished, too polite, too bourgeois.—
Stephen M. Deusner,
Pitchfork,
8 Feb. 2026
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Messy is a polite way to describe the silos of vitriol that have turned hate into a national pastime.—
Denise Crosby,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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In an era when roads were still rough and driving was still novel, electric automobiles seemed civilized.—
Bill Gourgey,
Popular Science,
5 Feb. 2026
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There is a much more civilized way to do this that involves working together with state officials opposed to inserting the administration’s will on a state whose citizens have stood up for their neighbors and said this is not right!—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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That quotation alludes to the many Proustian echoes in Bowen’s story set in an aristocratic Big House during the 1919-21 War of Independence.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Feb. 2026
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It was restored over the course of a decade and feels elegant and aristocratic without tipping into museum territory, with several reception rooms, a billiard room, a modern kitchen, and seven en-suite bedrooms.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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To her credit, Shiffrin was gracious in defeat.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
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Shiffrin was predictably gracious in defeat — as rare as those defeats are.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Hunting groups say this is an overestimation of deer numbers, and that the organization has never had a proper management plan.—
Kris Millgate,
Outdoor Life,
6 Feb. 2026
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Darn Tough Hiker Merino Wool Crew Socks Whether hot or cold, the proper cushioned sock can help regulate temperature in shoes and keep your feet extra comfortable.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Early in the evening, brand chief executive officer Kentaro Nishimura greeted Uma Thurman, who was wearing a Mikimoto pendant tassel necklace with 427 Akoya cultured pearls and a 12-carat tanzanite.—
Kristen Tauer,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
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Skyr Skyr is an Icelandic cultured dairy product made from skim milk and thermophilic lactic acid bacteria cultures.—
Jillian Kubala,
Health,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Netflix's Bridgerton is a Regency-era series about the romantic follies of the noble Bridgerton family.—
Allison DeGrushe,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Feb. 2026
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Values to be tested Its obsession is also unusual in an industry prone to mission drift, where tech companies are founded on noble notions of improving humanity — before the obligations to investors take over.—
Parmy Olson,
Mercury News,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Beijing’s national security law has transformed Hong Kong, with authorities jailing dozens of dissidents; forcing civil society groups and outspoken media outlets to disband; and neutering the city’s once-raucous political scene.—
Chris Lau,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Israel has repeatedly demanded the complete disarmament and dismantling of Hamas and its infrastructure, both military and civil.—
Samy Magdy,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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