genteel
/d͡ʒɛnˈtiːl/adjective
genteel is spelled G-E-N-T-E-E-L: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, genteel means “Affectedly proper or refined; somewhat prudish refinement; excessively polite” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in genteel?
| Letters | 7: G-E-N-T-E-E-L |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 2 million words; the 44,767th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is genteel?
Genteel appears about once in every 2 million words in written English, the 44,767th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce genteel?
- /d͡ʒɛnˈtiːl/
Genteel has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-genteel.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of genteel
- more genteel comparative
- most genteel superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does genteel mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Affectedly proper or refined; somewhat prudish refinement; excessively polite.
- 2
Polite and well-mannered.
- 3
Stylish or elegant.
- 4
Aristocratic.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Genteel in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| German | übertrieben höflich, affektiert , stilvoll, schick, elegant , aristokratisch |
| French | à la mode |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does genteel come from?
Borrowed from French gentil (“gentile”), from Latin gentīlis (“of or belonging to the same people or nation”), from gēns (“clan; tribe; people, family”) + adjective suffix -īlis (“-ile”). Doublet of gentle, gentile, and jaunty. See also gens, gender, genus, and generation.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).