smooth

[ smooth ]

adjective

, smooth·er, smooth·est.

1. free from projections or unevenness of surface; not rough:

   smooth wood; a smooth road.

   Synonyms: flat, even, polished, glossy

2. generally flat or unruffled, as a calm sea.
3. free from hairs or a hairy growth:

   a smooth cheek.

4. of uniform consistency; free from lumps, as a batter, sauce, etc.
5. free from or proceeding without abrupt curves, bends, etc.:

   a smooth ride.

6. allowing or having an even, uninterrupted movement or flow:

   smooth driving.

7. easy and uniform, as motion or the working of a machine.
8. having projections worn away:

   a smooth tire casing.

9. free from hindrances or difficulties:

   a smooth day at the office.

10. noting a metal file having the minimum commercial grade of coarseness for a single-cut file. Compare dead-smooth.
11. undisturbed, tranquil, or equable, as the feelings, temper, etc.; serene:

    a smooth disposition.

12. elegant, easy, or polished:

    smooth manners.

13. ingratiatingly polite or suave:

    That salesman is a smooth talker.

14. free from harshness, sharpness, or bite; bland or mellow, as cheese or wine.
15. not harsh to the ear, as sound:

    the smooth music of a ballroom dance band.

16. Phonetics. without aspiration.

adverb

1. in a smooth manner; smoothly.

verb (used with object)

1. to make smooth of surface, as by scraping, planing, or pressing.
2. to remove (projections, ridges, wrinkles, etc.) in making something smooth (often followed by away or out ).
3. to free from difficulties.
4. to remove (obstacles) from a path (often followed by away ).
5. to make more polished, elegant, or agreeable, as wording or manners.
6. to tranquilize, calm, or soothe (a person, the feelings, etc.).
7. Mathematics. to simplify (an expression) by substituting approximate or certain known values for the variables.

noun

1. act of smoothing:

   She adjusted the folds with a smooth of her hand.

2. something that is smooth; a smooth part or place:

   through the rough and the smooth.

verb phrase

1. to make seem less severe, disagreeable, or irreconcilable; allay; mitigate:

   He smoothed over my disappointment with kind words.

smooth

/ smuːð /

adjective

1. resting in the same plane; without bends or irregularities
2. silky to the touch

   smooth velvet

3. lacking roughness of surface; flat
4. tranquil or unruffled

   smooth temper

5. lacking obstructions or difficulties
6. 1. suave or persuasive, esp as suggestive of insincerity
   2. ( in combination )

      smooth-tongued

7. (of the skin) free from hair
8. of uniform consistency

   smooth batter

9. not erratic; free from jolts

   smooth driving

10. not harsh or astringent

    a smooth wine

11. having all projections worn away

    smooth tyres

12. maths (of a curve) differentiable at every point
13. phonetics without preliminary or simultaneous aspiration
14. gentle to the ear; flowing
15. physics (of a plane, surface, etc) regarded as being frictionless

adverb

1. in a calm or even manner; smoothly

verb

1. also introften foll bydown to make or become flattened or without roughness or obstructions
2. often foll byout or away to take or rub (away) in order to make smooth

   she smoothed out the creases in her dress

3. to make calm; soothe
4. to make easier

   smooth his path

5. electrical engineering to remove alternating current ripple from the output of a direct current power supply
6. obsolete.
   to make more polished or refined

noun

1. the smooth part of something
2. the act of smoothing
3. See rough
   tennis squash badminton the side of a racket on which the binding strings form a continuous line Compare rough

Derived Forms

• ˈsmoother, noun
• ˈsmoothable, adjective
• ˈsmoothness, noun
• ˈsmoothly, adverb

Other Words From

• smootha·ble adjective
• smoother noun
• smoothly adverb
• smoothness noun
• over·smooth adjective
• over·smoothly adverb
• over·smoothness noun
• pre·smooth verb (used with object)
• re·smooth verb (used with object)
• un·smooth adjective
• un·smoothly adverb
• un·smoothness noun
• un·smoothed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of smooth¹

First recorded before 1050; (adjective) Middle English smothe, late Old English smōth; compare Middle English smethe, Old English smēthe “smooth”; cognate with Old Saxon smōthi; (verb) late Middle English smothen, derivative of the adjective; replacing Middle English smethen, Old English smēth(i)an

Word History and Origins

Origin of smooth¹

Old English smōth; related to Old Saxon māthmundi gentle-minded, smōthi smooth

Idioms and Phrases

• take the rough with the smooth

Synonym Study

See level.

Example Sentences

To install, you need to peel the backing off panel and then press onto a clean smooth wall surface.

From Popular-Science

Yet the App Store is particularly problematic, according to game developers, compared with Google’s Android Play Store, where the approval process tends to be smoother and there’s better communication.

From Fortune

This scooter has an adjustable handlebar up to 38 inches and large 200-millimeter urethane wheels that will deliver a smooth, comfortable ride.

From Popular-Science

Simply place the cutter over your pizza, in the desired direction, and push down while utilizing the natural rocking motion for a smooth slice.

From Popular-Science

This doesn’t mean that having a completely smooth life is good.

From Science News For Students

Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth.

From The Daily Beast

It felt like that kind of moment, with Whitney trying to smooth things over.

From The Daily Beast

You may just enjoy the rich, smooth fruit of their labor that little bit more.

From The Daily Beast

To produce deliciously smooth drams of single malt, the region has refined the ancient art of distillation.

From The Daily Beast

The kid wore a white T-shirt with the collar stretched loosely around the top of his smooth chest.

From The Daily Beast

Selections for practice should be chosen which contain much variety of thought and feeling and are smooth in movement.

From Project Gutenberg

I pictured him as slim and young looking, smooth-faced, with golden curly hair, and big brown eyes.

From Project Gutenberg

The Smooth Naked Horsetail is a common plant, specially by the sides of streams and pools.

From Project Gutenberg

A long stretch of smooth ice followed, over which he glided with ever-increasing speed.

From Project Gutenberg

The object of this practise is to attain facility in manipulating the elements while maintaining the smooth quality of the tone.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• alleviate
• ease
• facilitate
• iron out
• mellow
• mitigate
• soften