debonair

comparative more debonair · superlative most debonair · alternative debonaire · alternative debonnaire · alternative débonnaire

1. obsoleteGracious, courteous.

   Let be that Ladie debonaire, / Thou recreant knight, and soone thy selfe prepaire / To battell […].

   1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC

2. Suave, urbane and sophisticated.

   She was a New York City person. Sacco is nervy and sassy and sort of debonair.

   2015 February 12, Jon Ronson, “How One Stupid Tweet Blew Up Justine Sacco’s Life”, in The New York Times, →ISSN

   1 more example

   “He's doing it wrong! I am much more suave, debonair, and sophisticated than that!” “Yes, Dan, that's a very debonair stain you have on your shirt.” “I'll have you know I have sophistication coming out the wazoo!”

   2011 January 15, Dan Mandel & Chris Pearson, “The Ninja” (10:11 from the start), in Dan Vs., season 1, episode 4, spoken by Dan (Curtis Armstrong)

3. especiallyCharming, confident, and carefully dressed.

   1 more example

   The hard launch of what appeared to be the hottest new relationship in town – Billanna? Winty? – at the 2023 Met Gala saw Vogue supremo Wintour, who has hosted the Met Gala for 30 years, walk the red carpet arm in arm with the dashing and debonair Love Actually star, a man Clive James named “the nation’s leading male sexpot”.

   2023 May 2, Samuel Fishwick, “The ‘secret romance’ that got everybody talking at the Met Gala”, in The Independent

alternative debonaire · alternative debonnaire · alternative débonnaire

1. obsoleteDebonaire behaviour; graciousness.

   But yet, shall my vanity extend only to personals, such as the gracefulness of dress, my debonnaire, and my assurance—Self-taught, self-acquired, these!

   1748, [Samuel Richardson], “Letter XXXI”, in Clarissa. Or, The History of a Young Lady: […], volume I, London: […] S[amuel] Richardson; [a]nd sold by A[ndrew] Millar, […], →OCLC, page 196