soigné
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of soigné
1915–20; < French, past participle of soigner to take care of < Germanic (compare Old Saxon sunnea care, concern)
Explanation
Someone who's soigne is extremely elegant and well-dressed. When you get dressed up for a party, you might hope that you'll look soigne. The adjective soigne is perfect for describing a person who is so polished, clean, and sophisticated that you need a fancy French word to describe them. Soigne comes from the French soigné (or soignée for a woman), from the verb soigner, "to take care of." It's the ideal description for someone who's clearly taken a lot of care to look nice.
Vocabulary lists containing soigne
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.
His entrepreneurial vision was informed by the classical techniques and soigné styles of Alain Ducasse and Paul Liebrandt — two legendary French chefs, and two of his former bosses.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 26, 2023
But, strange to say, this formerly untidy man now seems quite soigné, in a new suit and with his hair smoothed down.
From The New Yorker ● Aug. 20, 2018
Instead of trying to gussy up and expand the lawyer or doctor show into something that looks more soigné, they could keep these shows short and sweet.
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2016
A soigné silver-gilt martini set by John Prip, for instance, was first shown in “Designer-Craftsman U.S.A.,” the 1953 Council-led event that sowed the seeds for the museum.
From New York Times ● Sep. 25, 2014
Her figure is too petite to give effect to heroic characters; but her voice is good, and her stage business soigné.
From The Mirror of Taste, and Dramatic Censor, Vol. I, No. 5, May 1810 by Carpenter, S. C. (Stephen Cullen)
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.
