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An affable person is pleasant, friendly, and easy to talk to.
Someone in a buoyant mood is in good spirits.
Someone who is churlish is impolite and unfriendly, especially towards another who has done nothing to deserve ill-treatment.
A man who is dapper has a very neat and clean appearance; he is both fashionable and stylish.
Decorous appearance or behavior is respectable, polite, and appropriate for a given occasion.
A deft movement or action is made quickly and with skill.
If you describe someone, usually a young woman, as demure, you mean that she is quiet, shy, and always behaves modestly.
Someone who is diffident is shy, does not want to draw notice to themself, and is lacking in self-confidence.
A gauche person behaves in an awkward and unsuitable way in public because they lack social skills.
A genteel person is well-mannered, has good taste, and is very polite in social situations; a genteel person is often from an upper-class background.
Something grotesque is so distorted or misshapen that it is disturbing, bizarre, gross, or very ugly.
Something loathsome is offensive, disgusting, and brings about intense dislike.
Someone who is nonchalant is very relaxed and appears not to be worried about anything.
To be politic in a decision is to be socially wise and diplomatic.
A provincial outlook is narrow-minded and unsophisticated, limited to the opinions of a relatively local area.
A recluse is someone who chooses to live alone and deliberately avoids other people.
Someone who is refined is very well educated; they understand much about cultures around the world.
If you have good sartorial taste, you know what to wear to your best advantage, or you have the skills of a tailor.
If you are suave, you are charming and very polite; you are also agreeable, perhaps not always sincerely, to all you meet.
The adjective svelte describes a person who is attractive, slender, and possesses a graceful figure.
A troglodyte also refers to prehistoric peoples who once lived in caves.
To act in an uncouth manner is to be awkward and unmannerly.
Someone who is ungainly is clumsy or awkward; something ungainly can be difficult to use, primarily because of its size or weight.
An unkempt person or thing is untidy and has not been kept neat.
If you say someone’s behavior is unseemly, you disapprove of it because it is not in good taste or not suitable for a particular situation.
An unsightly person presents an ugly, unattractive, or disagreeable face to the world.
If you behave in an urbane way, you are behaving in a polite, refined, and civilized fashion in social situations.
A yokel is uneducated, naive, and unsophisticated; they do not know much about modern life or ideas because they sequester themselves in a rural setting.
Adj.
debonair
deb-uh-NAIR
Context
The fictional character in my favorite book series is known for his debonair or charming personality. In fact, his debonair or sophisticated manner is always something he relies on in his adventures. His debonair or suave approach helps him gain assistance from others so he can achieve his goals. After reading so much about this debonair or courteous character, I’m acting in a more pleasant and confident way towards people too!
Quiz:Try again!
If someone is debonair, how do they act?
They don’t seem sincere in their compliments and kind words.
They are well-mannered and sure of themselves.
They take charge of every situation—even when it’s not appropriate.
Fred Astaire Forever Debonair Debonair Fred Astaire danced with elegant skill and smooth grace.
Examples
"Always stay united," Chirac said in a brief televised address Tuesday night, before the debonair 74-year-old turns over the presidency to fellow conservative Nicolas Sarkozy on Wednesday.
—
NBC News
The marriage of the debonair ruler to the dazzling American actress, one of the first "weddings of the century," helped revive the fortunes of the principality of 32,000 people.
—
The Washington Post
[Cary] Grant had been a major Hollywood player for more than a decade—an actor who was debonair but willing to make a fool of himself for a laugh.
—
Los Angeles Times
One who is debonair is “from” a “good, worthy, or well-behaved family” and thus knows how to conduct himself well in society.
Word Theater
Fred Astaire Puttin' on the Ritz. Now that's debonair.
The panel shows a small video clip of either the word in actual use or a scene that represents the meaning of a word. This not only breaks up the monotony of studying words but also provides another avenue to strengthen word meaning. Enjoy!
Word Constellation
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Related Words
affable ·
buoyant ·
dapper ·
decorous ·
deft ·
genteel+ ·
nonchalant ·
politic ·
refined+ ·
sartorial+ ·
suave+ ·
svelte ·
urbane ·
churlish ·
demure ·
diffident ·
gauche ·
grotesque+ ·
loathsome+ ·
provincial+ ·
recluse ·
troglodyte ·
uncouth ·
ungainly ·
unkempt ·
unseemly ·
unsightly+ ·
yokel ·
Similar sense
Opposite sense
Word Variants
debonaire
adj
→
alternate spelling of "debonair"
The section lists important variants and alternate definitions of the headword. Knowing variants will often help you both remember and understand the word. Not all variants are listed - only the ones we think that are important for you to know.
