debonair

or deb·o·naire, deb·on·naire

[ deb-uh-nair ]

/ ˌdɛb əˈnɛər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR debonair ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm: a debonair gentleman.

jaunty; carefree; sprightly.

Nearby words

Origin of debonair

1175–1225; Middle English debone(i)re < Anglo-French; Old French debonaire, orig. phrase de bon aire of good lineage

SYNONYMS FOR debonair

1. urbane, suave, elegant, polished.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR debonair ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsdeb·o·nair·ly, adverbdeb·o·nair·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for debonair

For seven years now, Jon Hamm's debonair ad exec has been the existential question mark at the center of the series.
Jon Hamm on the Final Season of ‘Mad Men’ and the Advice He Got From Bryan Cranston and Tina Fey|Andrew Romano|April 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Vaunted Mad Men star Jon Hamm is the debonair catalyst for “Emotions With Jon Hamm” and “Sad Don Draper.”
‘Sherlock’ Star Benedict Cumberbatch’s Polarizing ‘Cumberbitches’|Kevin Fallon|October 25, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Neal is the charming and debonair criminal I created for the show, played brilliantly by Matt Bomer.
‘White Collar’ Creator Jeff Eastin: My Biggest Con|Jeff Eastin|July 10, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Cary Grant at home was more or less the same man the public saw in movies: debonair, decent, and funny.
Remembering My Father, Cary Grant|Malcolm Jones|May 3, 2011|DAILY BEAST

Matthew, like your co-star Hugh Grant in this movie, possesses a kind of debonair diffidence.
Sarah Jessica Parker on Surrogacy and Cursing|Kevin Sessums|December 16, 2009|DAILY BEAST
The smiling, confident, debonair officer was changed into a stricken, mournful man.
The Wings of the Morning|Louis Tracy
There shall be a wedding to-morrow, but you shall marry me, instead of handsome, debonair Rex.
Daisy Brooks|Laura Jean Libbey
The commodore, sparkling and debonair, bowed to the throng and hung his Panama on a fence-post.
The Hallowell Partnership|Katharine Holland Brown
While outwardly he was the same suave, debonair old beau, he was beginning to have inner doubtings and despairs.
Stubble|George Looms
He described Philip as the most liberal and debonair of princes; his council in Spain as cruel and sanguinary.
The Rise of the Dutch Republic, Volume I.(of III) 1555-66|John Lothrop Motley

British Dictionary definitions for debonair

debonair

debonnaire

/ (ˌdɛbəˈnɛə) /

adjective (esp of a man or his manner)

suave and refined

carefree; light-hearted

courteous and cheerful; affable

Derived Formsdebonairly, adverbdebonairness, noun

Word Origin for debonair

C13: from Old French debonaire, from de bon aire having a good disposition

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for debonair

debonair

adj.

c.1200, "mild, gentle, kind courteous," from Old French debonaire, from de bon' aire "of good race," originally used of hawks, hence, "thoroughbred" (opposite of French demalaire). Used in Middle English to mean "docile, courteous," it became obsolete and was revived with an altered sense of "pleasant, affable" (1680s).

debonair

or deb·o·naire, deb·on·naire

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of debonair

Examples from the Web for debonair

debonair

debonnaire

adjective (esp of a man or his manner)

Word Origin for debonair

debonair