Dictionary

courteous en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈkɜːti.əs/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /ˈkɝti.əs/ (General-American)

Etymology

From Middle English curteis, from Old French curteis (French courtois), from cort (“court”). By surface analysis, court + -eous. Compare typologically Czech zdvořilý (<~ dvůr), German höflich (<~ Hof). Also note Russian прийти́сь ко двору́ (prijtísʹ ko dvorú). Compare typologically civil, urbane. See pagan for the opposite.

Meanings

1. Showing regard or thought for others; especially, displaying good manners or etiquette.
   • a courteous gentleman   a courteous gesture
   • Nectar ran / In courteous fountains to all cups outreach'd; / And plunder'd vines, teeming exhaustless, pleach'd / New growth about each shell and pendent lyre; [...] 1818, John Keats, “Book III”, in Endymion: A Poetic Romance, London: […] T[homas] Miller, […] for Taylor and Hessey, […], →OCLC, page 149, lines 932–935:
   • His exhortations to his assistants to waste no time in getting on with the job, and to be tactful and courteous with those outside the railway service with whom they had to deal, are as apposite today as they were a century ago. 1958 August 14, “More Light on Brunel”, in Railway Magazine, page 516:

Forms

Antonyms

mismannered · unmannerly · impudent · improper · uncouth · crude · uncourteous · ill-mannered · discourteous · lack-grace · discourteous · incivil · uncivil · bold · impolite · uncivilized · uncultured · uncourteous · rude · unpolite · unpolished · ill-bred · bumptious · rantipole · unrefined · underbred · rough · gauche · barbaric · churlish · aweless · bad-mannered · insolent

Deriveds

courteousness · overcourteous · uncourteous · courteously · discourteous

Relateds

courtesy · court · cohort

Synonyms

urbane · reasonable · civilized · mannerly · politic · well-mannered · refined · genteel · courteous · polite · well-behaved · fair-mannered · cultivated · well-bred · complaisant · civil · correct · polished · gracious

Translations (72)

da høflig (showing regard for others) · ota كبار (showing regard for others) · fi kohtelias (showing regard for others) · ota تربیهلو (showing regard for others) · uk вві́чливий (showing regard for others) · ru ве́жливый (showing regard for others) · fr poli (showing regard for others) · nn høfleg (showing regard for others) · sk slušný (showing regard for others) · it cortese (showing regard for others) · sk zdvorilý (showing regard for others) · be ве́тлівы (showing regard for others) · hi शालीन (showing regard for others) · da beleven (showing regard for others) · tr kibar (showing regard for others) · bg внима́телен (showing regard for others) · enm semly (showing regard for others) · cmn 客氣 /客气 (showing regard for others) · ru куртуа́зный (showing regard for others) · cmn 有禮貌 /有礼貌 (showing regard for others) · nl hoffelijk (showing regard for others) · pl grzeczny (showing regard for others) · sl vljuden (showing regard for others) · yue 有禮貌 /有礼貌 (showing regard for others) · he אדיב (showing regard for others) · ru внима́тельный (showing regard for others) · ca cortès (showing regard for others) · mk куртоа́зен (showing regard for others) · pl uprzejmy (showing regard for others) · ja 礼儀正しい (showing regard for others) · ja 丁寧 (showing regard for others) · nb høflig (showing regard for others) · ru обходи́тельный (showing regard for others) · mk у́чтив (showing regard for others) · pdt heeflich (showing regard for others) · pt cortês (showing regard for others) · bg ве́жлив (showing regard for others) · fa مؤدب (showing regard for others) · fr courtois (showing regard for others) · io jentila (showing regard for others) · es cordial (showing regard for others) · hi विनम्र (showing regard for others) · la cōmis (showing regard for others) · mk внима́телен (showing regard for others) · tr efendi (showing regard for others) · sv hövlig (showing regard for others) · ota نازك (showing regard for others) · mi hūmārika (showing regard for others) · enm curteis (showing regard for others) · ga lách (showing regard for others) · tr nazik (showing regard for others) · ja 思いやりのある (showing regard for others) · bg учти́в (showing regard for others) · ru учти́вый (showing regard for others) · yue 斯文 (showing regard for others) · ar مُؤَدَّب (showing regard for others) · mk љу́безен (showing regard for others) · sh učtiv (showing regard for others) · de zuvorkommend (showing regard for others) · de höflich (showing regard for others) · ar مُهَذَّب (showing regard for others) · es cortés (showing regard for others) · ru любе́зный (showing regard for others) · sv artig (showing regard for others) · de aufmerksam (showing regard for others) · ga sibhialta (showing regard for others) · cs zdvořilý (showing regard for others) · eo ĝentila (showing regard for others) · el αβρόφρων (showing regard for others) · sh учтив (showing regard for others) · cs slušný (showing regard for others) · fo ærutur (showing regard for others)