couth 1 of 2

adjective

ˈküth How to pronounce couth (audio)
Definition of couthnext
as in civilized
having or showing a taste for the fine arts and gracious living he's remarkably couth for someone who grew up in a small town with limited cultural opportunities

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

couth

2 of 2

noun

as in accomplishment
a high level of taste and enlightenment as a result of extensive intellectual training and exposure to the arts their future son-in-law's lack of couth was of some concern to this patrician couple

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of couth
Noun
Even some of Durant’s Warriors’ teammates manifested their artsiness in less-than-couth ways. — Dieter Kurtenbach, The Mercury News, 11 June 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for couth
  1. civilized
  2. accomplishment
  3. cultured
  4. civilization
  5. manners
  6. culture
  7. refinement
  8. education
Adjective
  • At least in civilized society, which is what Screencaps Nation is all about.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Leave it in its normal mode and the SQ5 behaves like a civilized luxury crossover.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of civilized
Noun
  • It’s often said that great athletes struggle to talk about their sport and their accomplishments.
    — Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • McGuiness’ in-ring appearances have been few and far between but getting back in shape to make it through to the end is an accomplishment in and of itself.
    — Ryan Gaydos OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of accomplishment
Adjective
  • To determine whether there's a bacterial infection, that urine must be cultured.
    — Meghan Rabbitt, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026
  • Crème fraîche is a slightly tangy cultured cream with around 30% fat.
    — Sarah Martens, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of cultured
Noun
  • Some of Western civilization’s greatest artists, including Botticelli, Raphael, Rubens, Canova, Cezanne, and Picasso, have all adapted their forms according to the tastes of the time.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Sep. 2026
  • And to be useful, these civilizations need to be predictable.
    — Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of civilization
Noun
  • An agent with read-only access is a search engine with better manners.
    — Antony P Gregory, Forbes.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Even as the identity of the South evolves, and more young people lose certain traits that are identifiably southern, manners remain one of the region’s most distinctive and steadfast qualities.
    — Annie Joy Williams, The Atlantic, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of manners
Noun
  • Former senior vice president of people and culture Erin Dangerfield, now Golden State’s chief people officer, allegedly questioned Vasquez about her responses in the survey.
    — Devon Henderson, New York Times, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Spotify acquired The Ringer — a sports and pop culture website and podcast network — in 2020 for more than $200 million, according to reports.
    — Greg Rosenstein, NBC news, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of culture
Noun
  • The bezels appear marginally slimmer but the overall design is a refinement rather than a reinvention.
    — Janhoi McGregor, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • But for now, the idea sits on the drawing board, awaiting feedback and refinement.
    — Harry Goldstein, IEEE Spectrum, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of refinement
Noun
  • There will always be a big difference between training and education.
    — Raghu Krishnaiah, Forbes.com, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Party leaders laid out proposals for relieving poverty, improving social security, and reforming the education system and admitted members from backgrounds unusual for the CHP, including a Kurdish activist and a union leader.
    — Nick TaborAll, Encyclopedia Britannica, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of education

Browse Nearby Words

cousins
couth
couture
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Couth.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/couth. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All