Antonyms for genteel

Grammar : Adj

Spell : jen-teel

Phonetic Transcription : dʒɛnˈtil

Definition of genteel

Origin : 1590s, from Middle French gentil "stylish, fashionable, elegant; nice, graceful, pleasing," from Old French gentil "high-born, noble" (11c.); a reborrowing of the French word that had early come into English as gentle (q.v.), with French pronunciation and stress preserved to emphasize the distinction. Cf. also jaunty; gentile. OED 2nd ed. reports genteel "is now used, except by the ignorant, only in mockery" (a development it dates from the 1840s).

adj sophisticated, cultured

Example sentences :

Their conversation, though no doubt as genteel as before, was all of broken hearts.
Extract from : « Quaint Courtships » by Various

He chose the most genteel, however; he became a wine merchant.
Extract from : « Tales And Novels, Volume 4 (of 10) » by Maria Edgeworth

It was the host's profound misfortune to have been overcome by that too genteel lady.
Extract from : « Little Dorrit » by Charles Dickens

Every one seemed to think it wouldn't be genteel to eat after the disaster.
Extract from : « One Of Them » by Charles James Lever

There are many boys of genteel family, who would have been glad of the chance.
Extract from : « Paul Prescott's Charge » by Horatio Alger

Would he, in his genteel garb, be recognised by some agent of the Sûreté as “The American”?
Extract from : « The White Lie » by William Le Queux

The latter has not a handsome face, but is a genteel person.
Extract from : « Journal of a Young Lady of Virginia, 1782 » by Lucinda Lee Orr

I doubt if any one who has not lived in Philadelphia can imagine how genteel it is.
Extract from : « Pipefuls » by Christopher Morley

Within an hour Mike had become a perfect hero in that genteel circle.
Extract from : « A Hungarian Nabob » by Maurus Jkai

He was elegant and genteel, at any rate, that everybody would be bound to allow.
Extract from : « A Hungarian Nabob » by Maurus Jkai

Synonyms for genteel

Based on : Thesaurus.com - Gutenberg.org - Dictionary.com - Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019