debonair

adjective deb·o·nair \ ˌde-bə-ˈner \

Updated on: 15 Nov 2017

Definition of debonair

1 a : suave, urbane

a debonair performer

b : lighthearted, nonchalant

2 archaic : gentle, courteous

—

debonairly

adverb

—

debonairness

noun

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Examples of debonair in a Sentence

Their history, past and recent, may be scribbled with viciousness and deprivation, but the debonair politeness, the good humor, of the Irish I met, who are still among the poorest people in the West, gave me to believe that calamity breeds character. —G. Y. Dryansky, Condé Nast Traveler, November 1994
Cary Grant is the center of the action and, at this pivotal point in his career, he is suspended between the heroic and the debonair. —Andrew Sarris, Video Review, September 1990
Wyndham Lewis arrived for a stay in Paris and he was a different man from the Lewis of London. He was free and easy and debonair. —Robert McAlmon et al., Being Geniuses Together, (1938) 1968
a debonair man in a suit and top hat
his debonair dismissal of my inquiry concerning his financial situation led me to believe that nothing was wrong

Recent Examples of debonair from the Web

Sporting a posh accent and square jaw, Moore, who died Tuesday at age 89, looked the part of a movie star and a debonair international spy.

— Washington Post, "With an arched brow, Roger Moore found humor in Bond, life," 24 May 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'debonair.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Did You Know?

In Anglo-French, someone who was genteel and well-brought-up was described as "deboneire" - literally "of good family or nature" (from three words: "de bon aire"). When the word was borrowed into English in the 13th century, it basically meant "courteous," a narrow sense now pretty much obsolete. Today's "debonair" incorporates charm, polish, and worldliness, often combined with a carefree attitude (think James Bond). And yes, we tend to use this sense mostly, though not exclusively, of men. In the 19th century, we took the "carefree" part and made it a sense all its own. "The crowd that throngs the wharf as the steamer draws alongside is gay and debonair; it is a noisy, cheerful, gesticulating crowd," wrote Somerset Maugham in 1919 in his novel The Moon and Sixpence.