couth
1 of 2adjective
ˈküth 
: sophisticated, polished
Although they disagreed with the speaker, they were couth enough to listen to him respectfully.
couth
2 of 2noun
: polish, refinement
I expected kindness and gentility … but there is such a thing as too much couth.
S. J. Perelman
S. J. Perelman
Synonyms
Adjective
- accomplished
- civilized
- cultivated
- cultured
- genteel
- polished
- refined
Noun
- accomplishment
- civilization
- cultivation
- culture
- polish
- refinement
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Adjective he's remarkably couth for someone who grew up in a small town with limited cultural opportunities Noun their future son-in-law's lack of couth was of some concern to this patrician couple
Recent Examples on the Web Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 11 June 2019
Noun
Even some of Durant’s Warriors’ teammates manifested their artsiness in less-than-couth ways. Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 11 June 2019 Word History
Etymology
Adjective and Noun
back-formation from uncouth
First Known Use
Adjective
1896, in the meaning defined above
Noun
1947, in the meaning defined above
couth 1 of 2
adjective
as in civilized
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living he's remarkably couth for someone who grew up in a small town with limited cultural opportunities Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- civilized
- cultured
- polished
- polite
- cultivated
- accomplished
- genteel
- educated
- refined
- civil
- scholarly
- literate
- sophisticated
- cosmopolitan
- highbrow
- cerebral
- intellectual
- urbane
- bourgeois
- intellectualistic
- intellectualist
- mannerly
- erudite
- courteous
- middlebrow
- high-toned
- learned
- knowledgeable
- highbrowed
- well-bred
- well-read
- oversophisticated
- hypercivilized
- overcivilized
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- ignorant
- uncivilized
- uncultured
- unrefined
- barbarous
- barbaric
- uneducated
- illiterate
- unpolished
- coarse
- unlettered
- philistine
- unintelligent
- ungenteel
- lowbrow
- provincial
- uncouth
- rustic
- unsophisticated
- backwoods
- vulgar
- boorish
- crude
- ill-bred
- inelegant
- churlish
- clownish
- rustical
- ill-mannered
- cloddish
- polyester
couth
2 of 2noun
as in manners
a high level of taste and enlightenment as a result of extensive intellectual training and exposure to the arts their future son-in-law's lack of couth was of some concern to this patrician couple Synonyms & Similar Words
- manners
- civilization
- culture
- refinement
- accomplishment
- education
- cultivation
- literacy
- knowledge
- civility
- polish
- urbanity
- erudition
- elegance
- politeness
- intellectualism
- learning
- sophistication
- gentility
- scholarship
- intellectuality
- cosmopolitanism
- breeding
- taste
- grace
- courteousness
- courtesy
- class
- genteelness
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- barbarism
- philistinism
- ignorance
- illiteracy
- rusticity
- boorishness
- vulgarity
- provincialism
- barbarianism
- crudeness
- coarseness
- parochialism
- unsophistication
- churlishness
- clownishness