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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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
Theaters taught baseball that seating played a big role in this; supposedly, a sitting crowd was a more genteel crowd, especially in numbered and reserved seats that acted as barriers to neighboring seats.
—
Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 July 2025
Dinklage is particularly amusing as the giddy, genteel Prater, while Ritter balances wry disdain with flirtatious charm as Mia. Hall is, as always, entertaining as Dexter, delivering his character’s signature blend of deadpan humor and an earnest façade.
—EW.com, 10 July 2025
There are contemporary costumes, hairstyles, props, scenic elements and characters’ line delivery, but central character Blanche DuBois seems to exist, both mentally and physically, in the more genteel South of the 1930s.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2025
His fiction is set all over the place—genteel backwaters like Miami, Hollywood, and Atlantic City, with excursions as far afield as the Dominican Republic, Italy, and Israel.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 23 July 2025
Dinklage is particularly amusing as the giddy, genteel Prater, while Ritter balances wry disdain with flirtatious charm as Mia. Hall is, as always, entertaining as Dexter, delivering his character’s signature blend of deadpan humor and an earnest façade.
—EW.com, 10 July 2025
There are contemporary costumes, hairstyles, props, scenic elements and characters’ line delivery, but central character Blanche DuBois seems to exist, both mentally and physically, in the more genteel South of the 1930s.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 July 2025
His fiction is set all over the place—genteel backwaters like Miami, Hollywood, and Atlantic City, with excursions as far afield as the Dominican Republic, Italy, and Israel.
—Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 30 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
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Throughout his unfortunately short life, Charlie committed himself unreservedly to reasoned debate, rational discourse, and the polite exchange of opinion.—
Newsweek Contributors,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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It is paneled in dark wood, the chairs are heavy leather and the murmur of polite, intelligent conversation hangs in the air.—
Benjamin D. Summers,
Forbes.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Blyth provides a fitting foil to Jonsson’s softness with his endless spring of ruthless aggression, forcing Taylor’s primal survival instincts to butt against his more civilized sense that there has to be something more for him in this world.—
Christian Zilko,
IndieWire,
12 Sep. 2025
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This inexcusable violence belongs nowhere in a civilized society.—
Dan Mangan,Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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As Mary’s family attempts to rally around the Downton heiress, Robert (Hugh Bonneville) and Cora (Elizabeth McGovern) are navigating their way through more financial strife, with those downstairs also left to ponder what the future holds for aristocratic homes like theirs.—
Lily Ford,
HollywoodReporter,
16 Sep. 2025
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Beyond that, people found the Mitfords’ very, very aristocratic accent extremely annoying.—
Mimi Pond,
People.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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With news of Redford’s death Tuesday at age 89, several Tiburon residents remembered him as a gracious, unassuming man who liked to walk around town and patronize local restaurants.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
19 Sep. 2025
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Bluemercury was gracious enough to clue our editors in on what its hottest products of the season are, so that you can be better informed when filling your cart with moisturizers, shampoos, serums, hair styling tools, eyeliners, and all sorts of other beauty essentials.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
In the filing, Clark said the nurse failed to provide proper medical care to other patients at the Missouri hospital, adding that another hospital in Phoenix had also terminated her due to patient safety concerns.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
20 Sep. 2025
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Per my grandmother’s advice, making the perfect pancakes on a countertop griddle comes down to maintaining a steady not-too-hot temperature and having a proper non-stick surface.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
20 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Her men friends were mostly elderly cultured people, who admired her elegance and asked no more than the pleasure of her company.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
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Robin Wright stars as the wealthy and cultured Laura, whose son brings home the girlfriend from hell.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Tucked into the whispering meadows of the Netherlands, Hof van Saksen is a majestic eco-resort—a former noble estate reborn as a family-first urban oasis spanning over 160 lush acres.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
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The affection Agnes holds for her children and the anger aimed at her husband, not to mention a world cruel enough to rob her of a child, are both tuned with precision to crack your noble heart.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The agreements include a new science and technology partnership, civil nuclear cooperation and defense technology initiatives.—
Laura Daniella Sepulveda,
AZCentral.com,
20 Sep. 2025
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Trump has repeatedly complained about James, who pursued a civil fraud case against him that resulted in a half-billion-dollar penalty.—
Francesca Chambers,
USA Today,
20 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 23 Sep. 2025.
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