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
Souther, the singer and songwriter who co-wrote twangy yet debonair hits for the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt that helped define the Southern California country-rock sound of the mid-1970s, has died.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 17, 2024
This lack of social synchrony can land even the most debonair droid in the “uncanny valley.”
From Science Magazine • Mar. 29, 2024
His small mustache was trimmed and looked as debonair as ever.
From "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith
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.
