smooth

[ smooth ]

/ smuð /

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See synonyms for: smooth / smoother / smoothest / smoothing on Thesaurus.com

adjective, smooth·er, smooth·est.

free from projections or unevenness of surface; not rough: smooth wood; a smooth road.

generally flat or unruffled, as a calm sea.

free from hairs or a hairy growth: a smooth cheek.

of uniform consistency; free from lumps, as a batter, sauce, etc.

free from or proceeding without abrupt curves, bends, etc.: a smooth ride.

allowing or having an even, uninterrupted movement or flow: smooth driving.

easy and uniform, as motion or the working of a machine.

having projections worn away: a smooth tire casing.

free from hindrances or difficulties: a smooth day at the office.

noting a metal file having the minimum commercial grade of coarseness for a single-cut file.Compare dead-smooth.

undisturbed, tranquil, or equable, as the feelings, temper, etc.; serene: a smooth disposition.

elegant, easy, or polished: smooth manners.

ingratiatingly polite or suave: That salesman is a smooth talker.

free from harshness, sharpness, or bite; bland or mellow, as cheese or wine.

not harsh to the ear, as sound: the smooth music of a ballroom dance band.

Phonetics. without aspiration.

adverb

in a smooth manner; smoothly.

verb (used with object)

to make smooth of surface, as by scraping, planing, or pressing.

to remove (projections, ridges, wrinkles, etc.) in making something smooth (often followed by away or out).

to free from difficulties.

to remove (obstacles) from a path (often followed by away).

to make more polished, elegant, or agreeable, as wording or manners.

to tranquilize, calm, or soothe (a person, the feelings, etc.).

Mathematics. to simplify (an expression) by substituting approximate or certain known values for the variables.

noun

act of smoothing: She adjusted the folds with a smooth of her hand.

something that is smooth; a smooth part or place: through the rough and the smooth.

Verb Phrases

smooth over, to make seem less severe, disagreeable, or irreconcilable; allay; mitigate: He smoothed over my disappointment with kind words.

OTHER WORDS FOR smooth

1 glossy, polished, even, flat.

See synonyms for smooth on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?

Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!

Question 1 of 7

Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.

who

whom

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of smooth

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

synonym study for smooth

1. See level.

OTHER WORDS FROM smooth

smooth·a·ble, adjectivesmoother, nounsmoothly, adverbsmoothness, noun

o·ver·smooth, adjectiveo·ver·smooth·ly, adverbo·ver·smooth·ness, nounpre·smooth, verb (used with object)re·smooth, verb (used with object)un·smooth, adjectiveun·smooth·ly, adverbun·smooth·ness, nounun·smoothed, adjective

Words nearby smooth

Smollett, smolt, S.M.O.M., smooch, smoodge, smooth, smooth as silk, smoothbore, smooth breathing, smooth collie, smooth dogfish

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use smooth in a sentence

To install, you need to peel the backing off panel and then press onto a clean smooth wall surface.
Cork boards for organizing your home or office|PopSci Commerce Team|September 17, 2020|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.
Apple’s App Store draws scrutiny in yet another country|Verne Kopytoff|September 3, 2020|Fortune
This scooter has an adjustable handlebar up to 38 inches and large 200-millimeter urethane wheels that will deliver a smooth, comfortable ride.
The best scooters for a smooth commute or cruise|PopSci Commerce Team|September 3, 2020|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.
Pizza cutters that will get you the slice of your dreams|PopSci Commerce Team|September 2, 2020|Popular-Science

This doesn’t mean that having a completely smooth life is good.
Puberty may reboot the brain and behaviors|Esther Landhuis|August 27, 2020|Science News For Students
Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
Make ‘The Chew’s’ Carla Hall’s Sticky Toffee Pudding|Carla Hall|December 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It felt like that kind of moment, with Whitney trying to smooth things over.
Inside the Lifetime Whitney Houston Movie’s Lesbian Lover Storyline|Kevin Fallon|December 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
You may just enjoy the rich, smooth fruit of their labor that little bit more.
When It Comes to Great Whisky, The Size of Your Still Matters||December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
To produce deliciously smooth drams of single malt, the region has refined the ancient art of distillation.
When It Comes to Great Whisky, The Size of Your Still Matters||December 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The kid wore a white T-shirt with the collar stretched loosely around the top of his smooth chest.
I Shot Bin Laden|Elliot Ackerman|November 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Selections for practice should be chosen which contain much variety of thought and feeling and are smooth in movement.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick
I pictured him as slim and young looking, smooth-faced, with golden curly hair, and big brown eyes.
The Boarded-Up House|Augusta Huiell Seaman
The Smooth Naked Horsetail is a common plant, specially by the sides of streams and pools.
How to Know the Ferns|S. Leonard Bastin
A long stretch of smooth ice followed, over which he glided with ever-increasing speed.
The Giant of the North|R.M. Ballantyne
The object of this practise is to attain facility in manipulating the elements while maintaining the smooth quality of the tone.
Expressive Voice Culture|Jessie Eldridge Southwick

British Dictionary definitions for smooth

smooth

/ (smuːð) /

adjective

resting in the same plane; without bends or irregularities

silky to the touchsmooth velvet

lacking roughness of surface; flat

tranquil or unruffledsmooth temper

lacking obstructions or difficulties

suave or persuasive, esp as suggestive of insincerity
(in combination)smooth-tongued

(of the skin) free from hair

of uniform consistencysmooth batter

not erratic; free from joltssmooth driving

not harsh or astringenta smooth wine

having all projections worn awaysmooth tyres

maths (of a curve) differentiable at every point

phonetics without preliminary or simultaneous aspiration

gentle to the ear; flowing

physics (of a plane, surface, etc) regarded as being frictionless

adverb

in a calm or even manner; smoothly

verb (mainly tr)

(also intr often foll by down) to make or become flattened or without roughness or obstructions

(often foll by out or away) to take or rub (away) in order to make smoothshe smoothed out the creases in her dress

to make calm; soothe

to make easiersmooth his path

electrical engineering to remove alternating current ripple from the output of a direct current power supply

obsolete to make more polished or refined

noun

the smooth part of something

the act of smoothing

tennis squash badminton the side of a racket on which the binding strings form a continuous lineCompare rough (def. 27)

Derived forms of smooth

smoothable, adjectivesmoother, nounsmoothly, adverbsmoothness, noun

Word Origin for smooth

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

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with smooth

smooth

In addition to the idioms beginning with smooth

smooth as silk
smooth over
smooth sailing

also see:

take the rough with the smooth

smooth

OTHER WORDS FOR smooth

Origin of smooth

synonym study for smooth

OTHER WORDS FROM smooth

Words nearby smooth

Words related to smooth

How to use smooth in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for smooth

Derived forms of smooth

Word Origin for smooth

Other Idioms and Phrases with smooth