smooth

[ smooth ]

adjective

, smooth·er, smooth·est.

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. Compare dead-smooth.
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.

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 or out ).
3. to free from difficulties.
4. to remove (obstacles) from a path (often followed by away ).
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. to make seem less severe, disagreeable, or irreconcilable; allay; mitigate:

   He smoothed over my disappointment with kind words.

smooth

/ 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

adverb

1. in a calm or even manner; smoothly

verb

1. also introften foll bydown to make or become flattened or without roughness or obstructions
2. often foll byout or away 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

Derived Forms

• ˈsmoothly, adverb
• ˈsmoothness, noun
• ˈsmoother, noun
• ˈsmoothable, adjective

Other Words From

• smootha·ble adjective
• smoother noun
• smoothly adverb
• smoothness noun
• over·smooth adjective
• over·smoothly adverb
• over·smoothness noun
• pre·smooth verb (used with object)
• re·smooth verb (used with object)
• un·smooth adjective
• un·smoothly adverb
• un·smoothness noun
• un·smoothed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of smooth¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of smooth¹

Old English smōth; related to Old Saxon māthmundi gentle-minded, smōthi smooth

Idioms and Phrases

• take the rough with the smooth

Synonym Study

See level.

Example Sentences

Axons have long been depicted as smooth and cylindrical, but a new study of mouse neurons challenges that view.

From Science Magazine

The interface is smooth and intuitive, and picture quality is sharp, even for older, presumably long-neglected titles.

From New York Times

“We should make it right for people, give them the opportunity to have a smooth passing – a comfortable death.”

From BBC

When the lake levels have remained unchanged, these extremely smooth rock surfaces generate distinct single-repeat echoes, which accurately copy the given sounds, forming auditory mirror images that appear to emanate from behind the rock walls.

From Science Daily

Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., warned that Trump’s refusal to enact a smooth transition is “threatening the American public.”

From Salon

Related Words

• alleviate
• ease
• facilitate
• iron out
• mellow
• mitigate
• soften