couth 1 of 2

adjective

ˈküth How to pronounce couth (audio)
Definition of couthnext
as in civilized
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living he's remarkably couth for someone who grew up in a small town with limited cultural opportunities

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

couth

2 of 2

noun

as in accomplishment
a high level of taste and enlightenment as a result of extensive intellectual training and exposure to the arts their future son-in-law's lack of couth was of some concern to this patrician couple

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of couth
Noun
Even some of Durant’s Warriors’ teammates manifested their artsiness in less-than-couth ways. — Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 11 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for couth
  1. civilized
  2. accomplishment
  3. cultured
  4. civilization
  5. manners
  6. culture
  7. refinement
  8. education
Adjective
  • Aaron Turpen / New Atlas The next big surprise is how civilized the Charger has become.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
  • On pavement, the 4Runner was comfortable and surprisingly civilized considering the serious off-road hardware underneath it.
    — Denver Post, Denver Post, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of civilized
Noun
  • In her new role, Danielle will help celebrate her aunt's life and accomplishments while offering a personal perspective on the woman behind the music, according to a press release announcing the appointment.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026
  • But even with their growing lists of accomplishments, all three designers acknowledge that running an independent label has its challenges.
    — Vogue, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of accomplishment
Adjective
  • Too obviously the gift of someone trying to seem casually cultured?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 24 Sep. 2026
  • As the war wound down, Olivier was becoming more obsessed with directing, often counting on Leigh as his cultured, measured adviser.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of cultured
Noun
  • Modern global civilization has made one contribution to this eternal pantheon.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Researchers are still puzzling through what happened to the ancient Maya civilization, which mysteriously dwindled.
    — Terrence McCoy, Washington Post, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of civilization
Noun
  • The problem isn’t so much a question of bad manners or even of corruption.
    — Robert A. Ballingall, The Conversation, 13 Oct. 2026
  • On the Awesome Etiquette podcast, Lizzie Post and Daniel Post Senning answer your questions on, well, pressing manners.
    — Air Mail, Air Mail, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of manners
Noun
  • The series explores the unsettling collision of ancient witchcraft beliefs and modern digital dating culture.
    — Samantha Bergeson, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Now, Nguyen sees an opportunity for Southeast Asian music as social media shakes up the world of pop culture.
    — Angelica Ang, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of culture
Noun
  • Playfulness keeps the level of refinement from becoming precious.
    — David Foxley, Architectural Digest, 21 Oct. 2026
  • More refinement of tech During a continuous 58-day trial, the system treated water containing a cocktail of six different regulatory-priority PFAS compounds.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of refinement
Noun
  • The union argues that income limits topping $500,000 in parts of the state make it more a tax break for the wealthy than an education program.
    — Lara Murray-Sterzel, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Its eventual deployment could help the university explore how emerging aircraft fit into policing, emergency management, and engineering education.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of education

Browse Nearby Words

cousins
couth
couture
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Cite this Entry

“Couth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/couth. Accessed 29 Oct. 2026.

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