courtly
/ˈkɔːtli
/adjective (courtlier, courtliest)
Very polite or refined, as befitting a royal court: he gave a courtly bow...
- Thus the most elaborate arrangements pertained to the royal or courtly bath culture.
- Literate North India, for its part, laments the transformation of a Delhi that was once a byword for elegant poetry, Mughal manners and courtly civilisation.
- Taking a moment, he opened the doors for them, helping them out and giving each a courtly bow and a gentle kiss on the cheek.
Synonyms
refined, polished, cultivated, cultured, civilized, stylish, elegant, sophisticated, urbane, suave, debonair;
polite, civil, courteous, gracious, well mannered, well bred, chivalrous, gallant, gentlemanly, ladylike, honourable, genteel, aristocratic, dignified, decorous, formal, ceremonious, stately, proper
informal couth
archaic gentle
Derivatives
courtliness
- The occasional courtliness of his manner has produced many forgettable poems, but he has no nostalgia for or tolerance of the disastrous grand narratives of the masters of Modernism.
- The Italian greets me with great courtliness: first relieving me of my burdens, then bowing gracefully, his lips remaining just a hair's breadth above my extended hand.
- I bet it also gave him an air of courtliness that helped him get people to talk - the kind he wanted to hear.