Synonyms for polite
- adjective
Most common
All synonyms
Adjective
1. Courteous — well-mannered, civilized
courteous, gracious, genteel, well-mannered, refined, respectful, obliging, gentle, affable, nice, polished, attentive, gentlemanly, urbane, suave, well-behaved, cultivated, gallant, civilized, civilised UK, accommodating, well-bred, mannerly
Other
Definitions
- adj. 1
Well-mannered, civilized.
Try and be polite to Auntie Maria for once.
Related words
- Word family
- politely politeness polish
- Phrases
- polite literature
- Is a kind of
- valid
Choose the right word
Civil is a colder and more distant word than polite; courteous is fuller and richer, dealing often with greater matters, and is used only in the good sense. Genteel refers to an external elegance, which may be showy and superficial, and the word is thus inferior to polite or courteous.
J. C. Fernald, English Synonyms and Antonyms (1914)
Example sentences
- gracious I didn't know that you are such a gracious person.
- courteous Tom told me that he hoped Mary would be courteous.
- genteel Oh, how genteel and gallant men are when they want something from a poor woman!
By length
- 4 letters
- nice1
- 5 letters
- civil2, suave1
- 6 letters
- proper2, gentle2, urbane2, unrude
- 7 letters
- refined2, gallant2, affable3, genteel2
- 8 letters
- polished2, gracious2, obliging3, mannerly
- 9 letters
- civilized3, attentive3, courteous3, civilised
- 10 letters
- respectful3, cultivated4
- 11 letters
- gentlemanly4
- 12 letters
- accomplished3
- 13 letters
- accommodating5
The small number after each word is its number of syllables (civil2 = 2 syllables).