adjective
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suave and refined
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carefree; light-hearted
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courteous and cheerful; affable
Other Word Forms
- debonairly adverb
- debonairness noun
Etymology
Origin of debonair
First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English debone(i)re, from Anglo-French; Old French debonaire; the original phrase was de bon aire “of good lineage”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As the movie goes on, it becomes apparent that she is present mainly because she wants to meet the debonair Rodgers.
From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 16, 2025
“It was a very debonair thing to do.”
From Slate • Jul. 22, 2025
In the psychological thriller “Heretic” from A24, the typically debonair Hugh Grant turns diabolical, but like a wolf in sheep’s clothing, he’s disguised by a singular cardigan, one painstakingly selected by costume designer Betsy Heimann.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 17, 2024
This lack of social synchrony can land even the most debonair droid in the “uncanny valley.”
From Science Magazine • Mar. 29, 2024
On a trip to Chicago in 1893, short, round fireball Ida Wells got to know tall, debonair, easygoing Ferdinand Barnett as they worked together on a pamphlet calling out racial inequities.
From "A Few Red Drops: The Chicago Race Riot of 1919" by Claire Hartfield
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
