debonair

[ deb-uh-nair ]

adjective

1. courteous, gracious, and having a sophisticated charm:

   a debonair gentleman.

   Synonyms: polished, elegant, suave, urbane

2. jaunty; carefree; sprightly.

debonair

/ ˌdɛbəˈnɛə /

adjective

1. suave and refined
2. carefree; light-hearted
3. courteous and cheerful; affable

Derived Forms

• ˌdeboˈnairly, adverb
• ˌdeboˈnairness, noun

Other Words From

• debo·nairly adverb
• debo·nairness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of debonair¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English debone(i)re, from Anglo-French; Old French debonaire; the original phrase was de bon aire “of good lineage”

Word History and Origins

Origin of debonair¹

C13: from Old French debonaire, from de bon aire having a good disposition

Example Sentences

Beauty was also coyly positioned, always in view of my and my brother’s drifting curiosities, like the framed print of “Jammin’ at the Savoy” by Romare Bearden that she hung just outside the kitchen’s entrance that I loved so much, that I sometimes wanted to live inside of, debonair and irreducibly cool like Bearden’s jazz men.

From Los Angeles Times

Souther, the singer and songwriter who co-wrote twangy yet debonair hits for the Eagles and Linda Ronstadt that helped define the Southern California country-rock sound of the mid-1970s, has died.

From Los Angeles Times

Tall, debonair and handsome, Hassilev also was the sex symbol of the trio.

From Los Angeles Times

This lack of social synchrony can land even the most debonair droid in the “uncanny valley.”

From Science Magazine

Playing Lando Calrissian in the “Star Wars” trilogy — the debonair, cape-wearing and bravado-filled hero of interstellar proportions — eventually granted Williams his wish, catapulting him into the public stratosphere.

From New York Times

Related Words

• affable
• dashing
• suave
• urbane