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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of genteel
The genteel and old-timey rooms start at $239 in late fall.
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Abbie Kozolchyk, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2024
There were still three and a half hours to go before kick-off, but the noise ricocheted off the genteel peach-and-cream facades of Leipzig’s townhouses.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 2 July 2024
But across the city in the genteel surroundings of a Marylebone hotel, this animosity will soon turn public.
—Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 20 Nov. 2024
Horror stories are often about the disjuncture between appearances and depths and turn on a change in perception: the genteel aristocrat who is in fact a monster, the idyllic town that conceals a dark secret.
—Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for genteel 
Abbie Kozolchyk, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2024
There were still three and a half hours to go before kick-off, but the noise ricocheted off the genteel peach-and-cream facades of Leipzig’s townhouses.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 2 July 2024
But across the city in the genteel surroundings of a Marylebone hotel, this animosity will soon turn public.
—Jacob Whitehead, The Athletic, 20 Nov. 2024
Horror stories are often about the disjuncture between appearances and depths and turn on a change in perception: the genteel aristocrat who is in fact a monster, the idyllic town that conceals a dark secret.
—Robert Rubsam, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for genteel
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genteel
Adjective
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Another delegate in the same small-group discussion said that the ideas got polite but forceful pushback.Nick Romeo, The New Yorker, 31 Dec. 2024
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People on several continents were understandably pleased at the prospect of rule by this quiet, polite, diligent young man who had practiced eye surgery in London.Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 31 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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This is a full-scale aggression by a deranged state against a civilized one.Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 1 Jan. 2025
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The Soviet leadership must find the wisdom to settle this case quickly in accordance with the dictates of simple human decency and of civilized national behavior.Jay Nordlinger, National Review, 21 Oct. 2024
Adjective
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Follow your gallery tour with a visit to another villa that once belonged to an aristocratic family—Villa Medici.Anna Haines, Forbes, 9 Jan. 2025
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After her Emmy win for Succession, Snook took home an Olivier for playing all 26 roles in this new adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s witty, haunting novel of vanity, aristocratic cruelty, and greed.Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The outward-facing woman was self-effacing and gracious and vivacious, a compassionate listener.Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 23 Dec. 2024
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Your guests will likely be too gracious and too full of delicious things to even notice if a rogue dust bunny tried to crash the holiday.Barbara Bellesi Zito, Southern Living, 22 Nov. 2024
Adjective
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Under proper care, and after plenty of rest, she’s been able to manage her symptoms well enough to return to work and a mostly normal life.Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 14 Jan. 2025
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There has long been a clamour among the fans for him to be given a proper run in the team, for many reasons.Sam Lee, The Athletic, 14 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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How To Make Buttermilk Frequently Asked Questions Dozens of iconic Southern recipes call for buttermilk, the incomparable cultured milk that lightens, tenderizes, marinates, flavors, and performs other works of kitchen magic.Sheri Castle, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2025
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That sample can then be analyzed several ways, including through a PCR evaluation, which looks for DNA evidence and can be completed rapidly, or it can be cultured in a laboratory to grow the bacteria, a process that takes longer.Sabrina Malhi The Washington Post, arkansasonline.com, 26 Dec. 2024
Adjective
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Part of its role was to rehabilitate drug addicts using a naval regimen—a noble yet undignified service for a generation-defining yacht.Tristan Rutherford, Robb Report, 3 Jan. 2025
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But, then, in a great and noble second act, the former president travels the world spreading goodness, peace and light while helping build safe and affordable housing for the needy and fighting the twin scourges of poverty and disease.Mark Barabak, The Mercury News, 1 Jan. 2025
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As Shakespeare depicts the king’s reign from June 1483 to August 1485, Richard III’s kingdom was wrought with chaos, confusion and corruption that fueled civil conflict in England.David Sterling Brown, The Conversation, 6 Jan. 2025
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Through a civil subpoena, Lively obtained text messages between Baldoni, publicist Jennifer Abel, and crisis management expert Melissa Nathan.Kevin Lynn, Newsweek, 6 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near genteel
Cite this Entry
“Genteel.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genteel. Accessed 18 Jan. 2025.
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