debonair
UK /ˌdɛbəˈneə(ɹ)/ · US /ˌdɛbəˈnɛɹ/ adjective, noun
Forms debonaire debonnaire
- adjective (obsolete) Gracious, courteous.
- adjective Suave, urbane and sophisticated.
- adjective (especially of men) Charming, confident, and carefully dressed.
- noun (obsolete) Debonaire behaviour; graciousness.
Synonyms
Etymology
Via Middle English debonaire from Old French de bon aire (“of good stock; noble”).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Characterized by courteousness, affability, or gentleness; of good appearance and manners; graceful; complaisant.
Etymology [OE. debonere, OF. de bon aire, debonaire, of good descent or lineage, excellent, debonair, F. débonnaire debonair; de of (L. de) + bon good (L. bonus) + aire. See Air, and Bounty, and cf. Bonair.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “debonair”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details