courteous
UK /ˈkɜːti.əs/ · US /ˈkɝti.əs/ adjective
- adjective Showing regard or thought for others; especially, displaying good manners or etiquette. “a courteous gentleman a courteous gesture”
Synonyms
civil gracious civilized complaisant correct cultivated fair-mannered genteel mannerly polished polite politic reasonable refined urbane well-behaved well-mannered well-bred nice
Antonyms
discourteous uncourteous aweless improper bad-mannered barbaric bold bumptious crude churlish impudent gauche
Etymology
From Middle English curteis, from Old French curteis (French courtois), from cort (“court”). By surface analysis, court + -eous.
Compare typologically Czech zdvořilý (<~ dvůr), German höflich (<~ Hof). Also note Russian прийти́сь ко двору́ (prijtísʹ ko dvorú).
Compare typologically civil, urbane. See pagan for the opposite.
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Of courtlike manners; pertaining to, or exxpressive of, courtesy; characterized by courtesy; civil; obliging; well bred; polite; affable; complaisant.
Etymology [OE. cortais, corteis, cortois, rarely corteous, OF. corties, corteis, F. courtois. See Court.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “courteous”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details