smooth

American  

[smooth] / smuð /

adjective

smoother, smoothest

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.

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.

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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 orout ).

3. to free from difficulties.

4. to remove (obstacles) from a path (often followed byaway ).

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. smooth over to make seem less severe, disagreeable, or irreconcilable; allay; mitigate.

   He smoothed over my disappointment with kind words.

smooth British  

/ 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

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adverb

1. in a calm or even manner; smoothly

verb

1. to make or become flattened or without roughness or obstructions

2. 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. tennis squash badminton the side of a racket on which the binding strings form a continuous line Compare rough

smooth Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing smooth

• take the rough with the smooth

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Related Words

See level.

Other Word Forms

• oversmooth adjective
• oversmoothly adverb
• oversmoothness noun
• presmooth verb (used with object)
• resmooth verb (used with object)
• smoothable adjective
• smoother noun
• smoothly adverb
• smoothness noun
• unsmooth adjective
• unsmoothed adjective
• unsmoothly adverb
• unsmoothness noun

Etymology

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

Explanation

Something smooth is free of roughness, stubble, or other imperfections that you can feel with your hands. If your wooden table is giving you splinters, use a sander to smooth it down and make it smooth. As you can see, smooth works as both a verb and an adjective. Smooth has lots of interesting uses: Caught in a wind storm? Better smooth out your hair when you head inside. Got a friend who's good with the ladies? Try imitating his smooth moves. Need help to smooth out a dispute between two friends? Invite them out for coffee and offer to help them smooth out their differences. Some pianists prefer ivory keys to plastic because they're less smooth, and their fingers don't slip. The best dancers can move smoothly from one move to another.

Example Sentences

“Free navigation and smooth trade are only possible if seafarers can do their job safely,” said Sotiris Raptis, secretary general of European Shipowners-ECSA, a trade association.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

It remains to be seen whether Muse Spark’s launch will smooth over previous controversies.

From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026

“At any point in time, fans who experience technical difficulty can reach us on any of our support channels to help facilitate a smooth experience.”

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 8, 2026

The girl band first made a mark with their 2022 debut single, Cardboard Box, which showcased their smooth group harmonies and sassy lyricism.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2026

They weren’t nearly as smooth or even as the thread his father used to make, but they’d do.

From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver

Related Words

• continuous
• creamy
• easy
• effortless
• flat
• fluid
• gentle
• glossy
• mild
• peaceful
• polished
• quiet
• serene
• shiny
• silky
• sleek
• soft
• stable
• steady
• tranquil