debonair

adjective

ˌde-bə-ˈner How to pronounce debonair (audio)
Definition of debonairnext
1
as in nonchalant
having or showing freedom from worries or troubles his debonair dismissal of my inquiry concerning his financial situation led me to believe that nothing was wrong

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in sophisticated
having or showing very polished and worldly manners the debonair gentleman charmed all of the ladies in the room

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 debonair Pierce Brosnan brought a suave, debonair approach, while Daniel Craig introduced a gritty realism and vulnerability to Bond. — Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 17 June 2026 To this day, his 2019 Aladdin movie still ranks as one of the most rip-roaring live action adaptations of a Disney cartoon while his take on Sherlock Holmes was more of a bare-knuckle bruiser than a debonair detective. — Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026 Sailing aboard The Hispaniola, Jim and Bess are caught between the charming, terrifying pirate Long John Silver, and the debonair, duplicitous British agent Aaron Graham. — Alex Ritman, Variety, 3 Mar. 2026 Hong Kong icon Tony Leung has channeled brooding urban energy for the masterpieces of Wong Kar-Wai, balancing the debonair ennui of Marcello Mastroianni with the quiet watchfulness of Montgomery Clift. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 8 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for debonair
Recent Examples of Synonyms for debonair
  1. nonchalant
  2. sophisticated
  3. carefree
  4. suave
  5. insouciant
  6. graceful
  7. cavalier
  8. civilized
Adjective
  • That play effectively started once defender Tim Ream tracked down a goal kick near the half-line, then passed up to Tyler Adams for a nonchalant back-heel pass to Tillman.
    — Cam Inman, Mercury News, 2 July 2026
  • Chisholm is normally pretty nonchalant, and manager Aaron Boone is rather stoic and defends his players sometimes to a fault.
    — Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 23 June 2026
Definition of nonchalant
Adjective
  • The food options are notably more sophisticated than standard commercial airline fare.
    — Annie Archer, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026
  • Go casual with denim shorts or lean more sophisticated with crisp trousers for the office — two ways Swift has styled white shirts before.
    — Claire West, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026
Definition of sophisticated
Adjective
  • Yet in recent weeks, Taylor has been out and about, suspiciously carefree.
    — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026
  • The tragic ending, meanwhile, could traumatize those expecting a colorful, carefree romp for life.
    — Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Definition of carefree
Adjective
  • Waddingham wore a stunning velvet rose bodycon dress and posed for cameras next to Beresford-Cleary, who opted for a suave suit paired with an open white shirt.
    — Gina Kalsi, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
  • Jada oozed cool in logomania jeans and a black jacket, while Will looked suave in a short sleeve button-up and khaki pants.
    — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 23 June 2026
Definition of suave
Adjective
  • Midi lengths refuse to commit to long or short camps, settling in the middle for a moment that's polished and truly insouciant.
    — Calin Van Paris, InStyle, 1 Apr. 2026
  • There is nothing insouciant about me.
    — Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 27 Mar. 2026
Definition of insouciant
Adjective
  • Their beauty also shapes traditional dance in Rwanda, with graceful movements performed by women who extend their arms to mimic the cows’ horns.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 27 June 2026
  • The graceful trailing stems and showy flowers of climbing hydrangeas (Hydrangea anomala) look beautiful growing on pergolas and fences.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 27 June 2026
Definition of graceful
Adjective
  • Later, in a conference room, Pathak and Gupta explained that their seemingly cavalier attitude toward robot welfare was actually motivated by concern for human safety.
    — Stephen Witt, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
  • The Nuggets were particularly cavalier with second-rounders in the 2024 offseason, which turned out to be Booth’s last at the helm.
    — Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 2 June 2026
Definition of cavalier
Adjective
  • Her generation was one of thinkers, politically committed to defining how individuals were to be shaped as citizens of a civilized nation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • In Season 3, the team enters Dinopia, a civilized dinosaur world, to face threats endangering both worlds through friendship, courage, and teamwork.
    — Kevin Giraud, Variety, 24 June 2026
Definition of civilized

Browse Nearby Words

debits
debonair
debrief
See all Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Debonair.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/debonair. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on debonair

Nglish: Translation of debonair for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of gambol

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All