Adjacent Words

debonair definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

adj
1: having a sophisticated charm; "a debonair gentleman" [syn: debonair, debonaire, debonnaire, suave]
2: having a cheerful, lively, and self-confident air; "looking chipper, like a man...diverted by his own wit"- Frances G. Patton; "life that is gay, brisk, and debonair"- H.M.Reynolds; "walked with a jaunty step"; "a jaunty optimist" [syn: chipper, debonair, debonaire, jaunty]

Merriam Webster's

adjective Etymology: Middle English debonere, from Anglo-French deboneire, from de bon aire of good family or nature Date: 13th century 1. archaic gentle, courteous 2. a. suave, urbane <a debonair performer> b. lighthearted, nonchalant • debonairly adverb • debonairness noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

adj. 1 carefree, cheerful, self-assured. 2 having pleasant manners. Derivatives: debonairly adv. Etymology: ME f. OF debonaire = de bon aire of good disposition

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Debonair Deb`o*nair", a. [OE. debonere, OF. de bon aire, debonaire, of good descent or lineage, excellent, debonair, F. d['e]bonnaire debonair; de of (L. de) + bon good (L. bonus) + aire. See Air, and Bounty, and cf. Bonair.] Characterized by courteousness, affability, or gentleness; of good appearance and manners; graceful; complaisant. Was never prince so meek and debonair. --Spenser.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

A man who is debonair is confident, charming, and well-dressed. He was a handsome, debonair, death-defying racing-driver. = suave ADJ

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

a. 1. Courteous, affable, polite, refined, civil, urbane, complaisant, obliging, gracious, easy, kind, well-bred. 2. Light-hearted, buoyant, vivacious, sparkling, sprightly, cheery, bright, lightsome. 3. Elegant, graceful, lithe, easy, of fine bearing.

Moby Thesaurus

affable, airy, breezy, buoyant, carefree, charming, cheerful, civil, corky, courteous, dapper, dashing, elegant, free and easy, gay, genteel, gracious, insouciant, jaunty, light, light-hearted, lighthearted, lightsome, mannerly, nonchalant, obliging, perky, pleasant, polite, refined, resilient, smooth, soignee, sprightly, suave, urbane, well-bred