Finesse

Quick meaning: Finesse is a noun meaning (uncountable) A skill in the handling or manipulation of a situation.

Meaning

(uncountable) A skill in the handling or manipulation of a situation.

More Meanings

1. (uncountable) The property of having elegance, grace, refinement, or skill.
2. (countable) An adroit maneuver.
3. (transitive, chiefly Canada, US, politics) To evade (a problem, situation, etc.) by using some clever argument or stratagem.
4. (intransitive, card games) To attempt to win a trick by finessing.
5. (transitive, card games) To play (a card) as a finesse.
6. (intransitive, croquet, obsolete) To play a ball out of the way of an opponent.
7. (countable, card games) In bridge, whist, etc.: a technique which allows one to win a trick, usually by playing a card when it is thought that a card that can beat it is held by another player whose turn is over.

Example Sentences

The Treaty of Madrid called into action the diplomatic finesse, or rather the low cunning of the English cabinet.

[A] simplified version of English, called Basic English, […] is mainly intended for tangibles like business and scientific cooperation, and the designer of which renounces the intention of catering for the finesses of cultural exchange or diplomacy.

When Lovat finally took the resolution of dispatching his son, with the best part of his clan, to the assistance of Charles Edward, a resolution which was not adopted without much hesitation and many misgivings, he feigned, with characteristic finesse, an apology for his march.

Finesse is not exactly subtlety; we draw a person into a snare with finesse; we escape from it with subtlety. We act with finesse, and we play a subtle trick. Distrust is inspired by an unsparing use of finesse; yet we almost always deceive ourselves if we too generally suspect it.

Word Forms

• finesses
• finessing
• finessed

Synonyms for finesse

Depending on context, synonyms include finessing, footwork, delicacy, diplomacy, discreetness.

Related Words

Related dictionary entries include delicacy, discreetness, diplomacy, subtlety, fineness, sophistication.

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