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Definitions

courteous

[kur-tee-uhs] / ˈkɜr ti əs /
ADJECTIVE
gentle, mannerly
Synonyms
STRONGEST
affable attentive civil civilized considerate courtly gracious polite respectful soft-spoken thoughtful well-behaved well-mannered well-spoken
WEAK
ceremonious complaisant cultivated debonair elegant gallant genteel polished refined suave urbane well-bred
Antonyms
STRONGEST
discourteous disrespectful heedless impolite inattentive inconsiderate mean rude thoughtless uncivil unkind unmannerly unmindful unrefined
WEAK
bad-mannered uncourteous

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Remember to be a courteous visitor when viewing wildflowers.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

Rodríguez, in turn, has acknowledged that there have been telephone calls and said that the tone is "courteous" and "mutually respectful."

From BBC • Feb. 17, 2026

In a separate interview on Tuesday, he told RTL radio that Epstein had been "generous" and "courteous", adding: "When I meet people I don't ask to see their criminal record."

From BBC • Feb. 7, 2026

While we should all try to be courteous and get along, part of maturity is realizing that you won’t click with everyone.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026

I had spoken to him a couple of times, and he was unfailingly courteous, even charming.

From "Newjack: Guarding Sing Sing" by Ted Conover

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.