suave

[swahv]

adjective

suaver, suavest 

1. (of persons or their manner, speech, etc.) smoothly agreeable or polite; agreeably or blandly urbane.

   Synonyms: worldly, sophisticated

suave

/ ˈswɑːvɪtɪ, swɑːv /

adjective

1. (esp of a man) displaying smoothness and sophistication in manner or attitude; urbane

Other Word Forms

• suavely adverb
• suaveness noun
• suavity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of suave¹

1495–1505; < French < Latin suāvis sweet

Word History and Origins

Origin of suave¹

C16: from Latin suāvis sweet

Example Sentences

In Myers’ music, which he writes mostly himself, even the drinking songs feel pretty suave; he’s always using his dreamy eyes to beam a gentlemanly sincerity.

From Los Angeles Times

Fast forward 2½ decades, and “The Waterfront” features a suave, queer character named Shawn who gets a job as a bartender at the Buckleys’ seafood restaurant.

From Los Angeles Times

Rock-star conspicuous in a brown leather bomber jacket, Damiano David struts into a hotel bar in downtown Los Angeles, finds a table near the back and orders an orange juice in his suave Italian accent.

From Los Angeles Times

Art Deco has never really gone out of style: Even after a century, the zigzag meanders, suave ladies and elegant lines associated with it still define sophistication.

From Los Angeles Times

In the same suave way he can break into R&B stylings at any given moment, Jay has a way of relaxing his audience to make them feel comfortable enough to sing along.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• affable 
• courteous 
• courtly 
• genial 
• ingratiating 
• polite 
• soft-spoken 
• sophisticated 
• urbane 
• worldly