genteel

adjective/dʒɛnˈtiːl/

Frequency rank: #18,028 of 20,003 in the WORDED list (wordfreq data)

Meaning

Politely refined in manner; characteristic of respectable, upper-class society.

Illustration for the English word “genteel”

Example sentence

She spoke in genteel tones that made everyone feel they were at a formal dinner party.

Synonyms & related words

More words in ranks 18,001–18,100