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Definition of genteelly

genteelly

/dʒɛnˈtiːl.li/
gen · teel · ly
Adjective:genteel
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genteelly Lexical Profile

genteelly Game Scores & Validity

• adverb

1

In a polite, refined, or well-bred manner characteristic of high social status.

Example

"The guests sipped their tea and conversed genteelly in the drawing room."

2

In an affectedly or self-consciously respectable and superior manner.

Example

"Despite their dwindling fortune, the family continued to live genteelly in their crumbling country estate."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for genteelly
Antonyms
View all antonyms for genteelly

Word Nuance & Usage

While originally strictly positive, "genteelly" is today frequently used with a touch of irony to describe an overly affected, pretentious, or faded effort to maintain upper-class respectability (as in "genteelly poor").

• Rhymes for genteelly

• Nearby Words

genre
gent
genteel
genteelly
gentian
gentiana
gentile

Word Origin & Etymology

Formed from the adjective "genteel" plus the adverbial suffix "-ly"; "genteel" was borrowed in the late 16th century from the Middle French "gentil" (meaning noble or well-born), which ultimately derives from the Latin "gentilis" (belonging to the same family or clan).

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Genteelly. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/genteelly
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