Word forms: comparative suaver, superlative suavest
adjective
Someone who is suave is charming, polite, and elegant, but may be insincere.
He is a suave, cool and cultured man.
Synonyms: smooth, charming, urbane, debonair More Synonyms of suave
suavelyadverb
...the skills needed to deal suavely with a company's senior managers.
suave in British English
(swɑːv)
adjective
(esp of a man) displaying smoothness and sophistication in manner or attitude; urbane
Derived forms
suavely (ˈsuavely)
adverb
suavity (ˈswɑːvɪtɪ) or suaveness (ˈsuaveness)
noun
Word origin
C16: from Latin suāvis sweet
suave in American English
(swɑv)
adjectiveWord forms: suaver or suavest
smoothly gracious or polite; polished; blandly ingratiating; urbane
SYNONYMY NOTE: suave suggests the smoothly gracious social manner of one who deals with people easilyand tactfully [a suave sophisticate]; urbane suggests the social poise of one who is highly cultivated and has had much worldlyexperience [an urbane cosmopolite]; diplomatic implies adroitness and tactfulness in dealing with people and handling delicate situations,sometimes in such a way as to gain one's own ends [a diplomatic answer]; politic also expresses this idea, often stressing the expediency or opportunism of a particularpolicy pursued [a politic move]; bland is the least complex of these terms, simply implying a gentle or ingratiating pleasantness[a bland disposition]
Derived forms
suavely (ˈsuavely)
adverb
suaveness (ˈsuaveness)
noun
Word origin
MFr < L suavis, sweet
Examples of 'suave' in a sentence
suave
The Savoy was the height of suave sophistication.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He's a very suave man.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
THIS season, the only way to look suave is in suede.
The Sun (2015)
THE suave man in the navy suit sat sipping wine and chatting in a Geneva hotel.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
No matter how shy or eccentric you are, there will be people who understand you or who make you look exuberant and suave by contrast.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
Go in dressed as a Bond character and you'll just look pretty suave.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
From the outside, it certainly looks like the suave Canadian has knocked some heads together.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But that doesn't mean you have to spend big bucks to get the suave Bond look.
The Sun (2006)
Add to that the fact he's cool, suave and a great secret agent and there really are few fictional characters with such enduring appeal.
The Sun (2011)
In other languages
suave
British English: suave ADJECTIVE
Someone who is suave is charming, polite, and elegant, but may be insincere.
He is a suave, cool and cultured man.
American English: suave
Brazilian Portuguese: suave
Chinese: 圆滑的
European Spanish: fino
French: affable
German: geschmeidig
Italian: untuoso
Japanese: いんぎんな
Korean: 상냥하고 매력적인
European Portuguese: suave
Latin American Spanish: fino
(adjective)
Definition
(esp. of a man) smooth, confident, and sophisticated
He is a suave, cool and cultured man.
Synonyms
smooth
a smooth-talking movie villain
charming
urbane
In conversation, he was suave and urbane.
debonair
a handsome, debonair, death-defying racing driver
worldly
He was worldly and sophisticated, quite unlike me.
cool (informal)
sophisticated
Recently her tastes have become more sophisticated.
polite
He was a quiet and very polite young man.
gracious
He is always a gracious host.
agreeable
courteous
He gave me a courteous but firm refusal.
affable
He is an extremely affable and approachable man.
smooth-tongued
Additional synonyms
in the sense of affable
Definition
showing warmth and friendliness
He is an extremely affable and approachable man.
Synonyms
friendly,
kindly,
civil,
warm,
pleasant,
mild,
obliging,
benign,
gracious,
benevolent,
good-humoured,
amiable,
courteous,
amicable,
cordial,
sociable,
genial,
congenial,
urbane,
approachable,
good-natured
in the sense of courteous
Definition
polite and considerate in manner
He gave me a courteous but firm refusal.
Synonyms
polite,
civil,
respectful,
mannerly,
polished,
refined,
gracious,
gallant,
affable,
urbane,
courtly,
well-bred,
well-mannered
in the sense of debonair
Definition
(of a man) confident, charming, and well-dressed
a handsome, debonair, death-defying racing driver
Synonyms
elegant,
charming,
dashing (old-fashioned),
smooth,
refined,
courteous,
affable,
suave,
urbane
Nearby words of
suave
stylish
stylus
stymie
suave
sub rosa
subconscious
subdue
Synonyms of 'suave'
suave
Explore 'suave' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of gracious
Definition
showing kindness and courtesy
He is always a gracious host.
Synonyms
courteous,
polite,
civil,
accommodating,
kind,
kindly,
pleasing,
friendly,
obliging,
amiable,
cordial,
hospitable,
courtly,
chivalrous,
well-mannered
in the sense of polite
Definition
having good manners
He was a quiet and very polite young man.
Synonyms
mannerly,
civil,
courteous,
affable,
obliging,
gracious,
respectful,
well-behaved,
deferential,
complaisant,
well-mannered
in the sense of sophisticated
Definition
intelligent, knowledgeable, or able to appreciate culture and the arts
Recently her tastes have become more sophisticated.
Synonyms
cultured,
refined,
cultivated,
worldly,
cosmopolitan,
urbane,
jet-set,
world-weary,
citified,
worldly-wise
in the sense of urbane
Definition
polite, elegant, and sophisticated in manner
In conversation, he was suave and urbane.
Synonyms
sophisticated,
cultured,
polished,
civil,
mannerly,
smooth,
elegant,
refined,
cultivated,
cosmopolitan,
civilized,
courteous,
suave,
well-bred,
debonair,
well-mannered
in the sense of worldly
Definition
wise in the ways of the world
He was worldly and sophisticated, quite unlike me.