finesse
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1fi·nesse
noun \fə-ˈnes\Definition of FINESSE
1
: refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture
2
: skillful handling of a situation : adroit maneuvering
3
: the withholding of one's highest card or trump in the hope that a lower card will take the trick because the only opposing higher card is in the hand of an opponent who has already played
See Examples of FINESSE
- She handled the interview questions with finesse.
- <maneuvered his opponent into checkmate with his customary finesse>
Origin of FINESSE
Middle English, from Middle French, from fin
First Known Use: 1528
Related to FINESSE
- Synonyms
- adroitness, cleverness, dexterity, sleight
Rhymes with FINESSE
abscess, access, address, aggress, assess, bench-press, caress, clothespress, coatdress, cold-press, compress, confess, cross-dress, CS, depress, de-stress, digress, distress, drill press, egress, excess, express, fluoresce, French press, full-dress, handpress, headdress, housedress, idlesse, impress, ingress, Meknes, much less, nightdress, noblesse, no less, obsess, oppress, outguess, possess, precess, prestress, princess, process, profess, progress, recess, redress, regress, re-press, repress, shirtdress, side-dress, SS, success, sundress, suppress, tendresse, top-dress, transgress, undress, unless, web press, winepress, word stress
2finesse
verbfi·nessedfi·ness·ing
Definition of FINESSE
intransitive verb
: to make a finesse in playing cards
transitive verb
1
: to play (a card) in a finesse
2
Examples of FINESSE
- He managed to finesse a deal through bargaining.
- She is just trying to finesse the issue.
First Known Use of FINESSE
1746
Related to FINESSE
- Synonyms
- contrive, finagle, engineer, frame, machinate, maneuver, manipulate, mastermind, negotiate, wangle
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