Meanings
comparative more discreet · comparative discreeter · superlative most discreet · superlative discreetest
- Respectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassment; quiet; diplomatic.
With a discreet gesture, she reminded him to mind his manners.
2 more examples
John just doesn't understand that laughing at Mary all day is not very discreet.
Just pass me by, don't even speak / Know the word's "discreet" with part-time lovers
1985, Stevie Wonder, “Part-Time Lover”, in In Square CircleSynonyms: appropriate, prudent, tactful, tight-lipped
- Not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous.
Synonyms: low-profile, noteless, unobtrusive, improminent, inconspicuous, inevident, inobtrusive, low-profile
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveRespectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassment; quiet; diplomatic.
adjectiveNot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous.
More synonyms by meaning
adjectivemarked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint
adjectiveunobtrusively perceptive and sympathetic
adjectiveheedful of potential consequences
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latindiscrētus
- Old Frenchdiscret
- Middle Englishdiscrete
- Englishdiscreet
From Middle English discrete, from Old French discret, from Latin discrētus, from past participle of discernere. Doublet of discrete.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian дискретен, тактичен
- дискретен (diskreten)respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- тактичен (taktičen)respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- предпазлив (predpazliv)not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
- сдържан (sdăržan)not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Catalan discret, discret
- discretrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- discretnot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Danish diskret, diskret
- diskretrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- diskretnot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Dutch discreet
- discreetrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
Esperanto diskreta
- diskretarespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
Finnish hienotunteinen, hienovarainen
- hienotunteinenrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- hienovarainenrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- tahdikasrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- diskreettirespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- hillittynot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
- diskreettinot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
French discret, respectueux
- discretrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- respectueuxrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- discretnot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
German diskret, diskret
- diskretrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- diskretnot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Greek διακριτική, διακριτικός
- διακριτική (diakritikí)respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- διακριτικός (diakritikós)respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- δισκρετ (diskret)respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
Hungarian diszkrét, tapintatos
- diszkrétrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- tapintatosrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- titoktartórespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
Italian discreto, discreto
- discretorespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- discretonot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Polish dyskretny, dyskretny
- dyskretnyrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- dyskretnynot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Portuguese discreto, discreto
- discretorespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- discretonot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Romanian discret, discret
- discretrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- discretnot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Russian такти́чный, незаметный
- такти́чный (taktíčnyj)respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- незаметный (nezametnyj)not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
- неброский (nebroskij)not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Spanish discreto
- discretorespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
Swedish diskret, diskret
- diskretrespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
- diskretnot drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Turkish ölçülü
- ölçülürespectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic
Ukrainian стриманий
- стриманий (strymanyj)not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with discreet
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
discreet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/discreet
“discreet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/discreet. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “discreet,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/discreet.
Source: discreet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.