genteel

adjective gen·teel \jen-ˈtēl\

: of or relating to people who have high social status

: pretending or trying to have the qualities and manners of people who have high social status

: having a quietly appealing or polite quality

Full Definition of GENTEEL

a : having an aristocratic quality or flavor : stylish

b : of or relating to the gentry or upper class

c : elegant or graceful in manner, appearance, or shape

d : free from vulgarity or rudeness : polite

a : maintaining or striving to maintain the appearance of superior or middle-class social status or respectability

b (1) : marked by false delicacy, prudery, or affectation (2) : conventionally or insipidly pretty <timid and genteel artistic style>

— gen·teel·ly \-ˈtē(l)-lē\ adverb

— gen·teel·ness noun

See genteel defined for English-language learners

See genteel defined for kids

Middle French gentil gentle

First Known Use: 1599

Synonyms: befitting, correct, decent, decorous, de rigueur, proper, nice, polite, respectable, seemly

Antonyms: improper, inappropriate, incorrect, indecent, indecorous, indelicate, unbecoming, ungenteel, unseemly

GENTEEL Defined for Kids

adjective gen·teel \jen-ˈtēl\

: relating to the upper classes <a genteel family>

: having an elegant, tasteful, or polite quality <genteel behavior>

Next Word in the Dictionary: genteelismPrevious Word in the Dictionary: gentamicinAll Words Near: genteel

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