soigné

American  

[swahn-yay, swa-nyay] / swɑnˈjeɪ, swaˈnjeɪ /

Or soignée

adjective

1. carefully or elegantly done, operated, or designed.

2. well-groomed.

---

soigné British  

/ swaɲe, ˈswɑːnjeɪ /

adjective

1. well-groomed; elegant

---

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

soigné

A few years ago, the duchess of Cambridge’s soigné appearance right after childbirth — hinting at stringent expectations for her looks and behavior — inspired Barnes to write a monologue for a fictional duchess.

From Washington Post ● Mar. 4, 2021

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

Anything a restaurant critic eats is the best the kitchen is capable of producing, and no critic gets less than soigné service in a restaurant unless the place is grossly understaffed or mismanaged.

From Time ● Sep. 21, 2011

Cuthbert, only a month from home, saw Madame Ducret just as she was—a Parisienne, elegant, smart, soigné.

From Once Upon A Time by Richard Harding Davis

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---