Smooth — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb noun /ˈsmüt͟h/

Meaning & Definition of Smooth

Smooth (adjective)

  1. having a continuous even surface
  2. being the representation of a function with a continuous first derivative
  3. having or being a short even coat of hair

Smooth (verb)

  1. to make smooth
  2. to free from what is harsh or disagreeable, polish
  3. soothe

Smooth (noun)

  1. a smooth part
  2. the act of smoothing
  3. a smoothing implement

Smooth (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. having or showing very polished and worldly manners

    "a smooth salesman of expensive jewelry"

    similar: debonair, sophisticated, suave, svelte, urbane
    related: cavalier, glib, slick, unctuous, civilized, couth, cultivated, cultured, genteel, graceful, gracious, poised, polished, refined, well-bred, cosmopolitan, metro, metropolitan, smart, worldly-wise, experienced, knowing, practiced, schooled, seasoned, amiable, appealing, attractive, assured, calm, collected, composed, confident, cool, placid, secure, self-assured, self-confident, self-possessed, serene, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed
    opposite: boorish, churlish, classless, clownish, loutish, uncouth
    near: awkward, clumsy, gauche, graceless, stiff, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungraceful, wooden, callow, green, inexperienced, puerile, raw, hick, parochial, provincial, rough-hewn, rustic, inelegant, philistine, uncivilized, uncultured, unrefined, unsophisticated, unworldly, gawky, lubberly, stodgy, ungainly, diffident, insecure

  2. involving minimal difficulty or effort

    "it should be smooth going from this point on"

    similar: cheap, downhill, easy, effortless, facile, fluent, fluid, hands-down, light, painless, ready, royal, simple, snap, soft
    related: idiotproof, mindless, quick, straightforward, unchallenging, uncomplicated, apparent, clear, clear-cut, distinct, evident, manifest, obvious, open-and-shut, palpable, patent, perspicuous, plain, transparent, unambiguous, unequivocal, unmistakable
    opposite: arduous, demanding, difficult, exacting, formidable, grueling, hard, herculean, killer, labored, laborious, murderous, rough, severe, stiff, strenuous, toilful, toilsome, tough
    near: burdensome, exhausting, onerous, oppressive, painful, stressful, taxing, troublesome, abstruse, complex, complicated, intricate, involved, knotty, problematic, recondite

  3. having a surface without bends, breaks, or irregularities

    "a smooth skating rink"

    similar: even, flat, flush, level, plane
    related: exact, uniform, aligned, regular, true, horizontal, tabular, plumb, straight, vertical
    opposite: bumpy, coarse, lumpy, rough, uneven, unsmoothed
    near: inexact, irregular, unaligned, warped, undulating, undulatory, wavy, pitted, pockmarked, pocky

  4. free from emotional or mental agitation

    "his smooth disposition and leadership qualities lend themselves well to the position"

    similar: calm, collected, composed, cool, coolheaded, equal, level, limpid, peaceful, placid, possessed, recollected, sedate, self-composed, self-possessed, serene, together, tranquil, undisturbed, unperturbed, unruffled, unshaken, untroubled, unworried, at peace
    related: even, even-keeled, steady, well-adjusted, well-balanced, imperturbable, nerveless, unflappable, unshakable, centered, disciplined, equable, self-contained, self-controlled, affable, breezy, devil-may-care, easygoing, happy-go-lucky, laid-back, loosey-goosey, mellow, carefree, nonchalant, unconcerned, assured, confident, self-assured, aloof, detached, dispassionate, indifferent, bovine, impassive, phlegmatic, sober, stolid, relaxed, relieved, tranquilized
    opposite: agitated, discomposed, disturbed, flustered, perturbed, unglued, unhinged, unstrung, upset
    near: anxious, bothered, distressed, uneasy, unquiet, unsettled, worried, jittery, jumpy, nervous, restless, skittish, tense, high-strung, unstable, uptight

Smooth (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to free from obstruction or difficulty

    "a willingness to compromise will smooth the way to an early agreement"

    similar: ease, facilitate, grease, loosen (up), unclog, pave the way (for)
    related: accelerate, expedite, hasten, hurry, quicken, rush, speed, advance, forward, further, promote, abet, aid, assist, help, improve, disentangle, straighten (out), untangle, simplify, streamline
    opposite: complicate
    near: hinder, impede, retard, aggravate, worsen, perplex, sophisticate

  2. to make free from breaks, curves, or bumps

    "the workers smoothed the surface of the concrete before letting it dry"

    similar: even, flatten, level, plane, smoothen
    related: clip, crop, pare, prune, shave, trim, lay, press, spread, card, comb, rake, surface
    opposite: rough, roughen
    near: coarsen, rumple, wrinkle, bend, kink, dent, pit

  3. to make smooth or glossy usually by repeatedly applying surface pressure

    "used fine sandpaper to smooth the face of the wood"

    similar: buff, burnish, dress, furbish, gloss, grind, polish, rub, shine, smoothen
    related: sleek, slick, coat, glaze, japan, lacquer, varnish, face, finish, veneer, brighten, file, rasp, sand, sandblast, sandpaper, scour, scrape, scrub, bob, bone, lap
    near: rough (up), roughen, ruffle, scuff (up)

Related Entry: Smooth (out or over) (verb)

Smooth (out or over) is a different word from Smooth. The synonyms below are for smooth (out or over), not for smooth.

  1. as in fill (in)

    similar: fill (in)
    opposite: dig, excavate, shovel, dredge, burrow, claw, grub

Related Entry: Smooth-tongued (adjective)

Smooth-tongued is a different word from Smooth. The synonyms below are for smooth-tongued, not for smooth.

  1. as in glib, facile

    similar: facile, glib, voluble, articulate, eloquent, fluent, silver-tongued, well-spoken, expressive, outspoken, verbal, vocal, blabby, chatty, garrulous, loquacious, talkative, verbose, unfaltering, unhesitating
    opposite: inarticulate, ineloquent, unvocal, faltering, halting, hesitant, maundering, mumbling, muttering, sputtering, stammering, stumbling, stuttering, mute, speechless, tongueless, tongue-tied, voiceless

  2. as in hypocritical, insincere

    similar: double-dealing, hypocrite, hypocritical, insincere, mealymouthed, two-faced, erroneous, fallacious, false, misleading, untrue, perjurious, dishonest, lying, mendacious, untruthful
    opposite: honest, truthful, veracious, candid, open, plainspoken, straightforward, earnest, sincere, true, conscientious, moral, principled, scrupulous, dependable, reliable, trustable, trustworthy, trusty, decent, ethical, honorable, just, respectable, righteous, right-minded, straight, upright, upstanding, virtuous

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Smooth

The most common words with a similar meaning to Smooth:

debonair, sophisticated, suave, svelte, urbane, cheap, downhill, easy, effortless, facile, fluent, fluid, hands-down, light, painless, ready, royal, simple, snap, soft, even, flat, flush, level, plane, calm, collected, composed, cool, coolheaded, equal, limpid, peaceful, placid, possessed, recollected, sedate, self-composed, self-possessed, serene

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Smooth

Words with the opposite meaning of Smooth:

boorish, churlish, classless, clownish, loutish, uncouth, arduous, demanding, difficult, exacting, formidable, grueling, hard, herculean, killer, labored, laborious, murderous, rough, severe, stiff, strenuous, toilful, toilsome, tough, bumpy, coarse, lumpy, uneven, unsmoothed

Related Words for Smooth

cavalier, glib, slick, unctuous, civilized, couth, cultivated, cultured, genteel, graceful, gracious, poised, polished, refined, well-bred, cosmopolitan, metro, metropolitan, smart, worldly-wise, experienced, knowing, practiced, schooled, seasoned, amiable, appealing, attractive, assured, confident

Near Antonyms of Smooth

awkward, clumsy, gauche, graceless, stilted, uncomfortable, uneasy, ungraceful, wooden, callow, green, inexperienced, puerile, raw, hick, parochial, provincial, rough-hewn, rustic, inelegant, philistine, uncivilized, uncultured, unrefined, unsophisticated, unworldly, gawky, lubberly, stodgy, ungainly

Word Forms of Smooth

Inflections: smoothed, smoothing, smooths, smoothes

Derived words: smooth (adverb), smoothly (adverb), smoothness (noun), smoother (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Smooth

Middle English smothe, from Old English smōth; akin to Old Saxon smōthi smooth

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Smooth

Words & Phrases Containing Smooth

smooth breathing, smooth fox terrier, smooth hound, smooth muscle, smooth sailing, smooth-tongued, smooth a path

Frequently Asked Questions about Smooth

What does "Smooth" mean?

"Smooth" means having a continuous even surface. As an an adjective, a verb and a noun, it is defined as: having a continuous even surface. It has 7 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Smooth"?

Other words for "Smooth" include debonair, sophisticated, suave, svelte, urbane, cheap, downhill and easy. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Smooth" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Smooth"?

There are 222 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Smooth". Common alternatives include debonair, sophisticated, suave, svelte, urbane, cheap, downhill, easy, effortless and facile.

What is the opposite of "Smooth"?

Antonyms of "Smooth" include boorish, churlish, classless, clownish, loutish, uncouth, arduous and demanding. Near antonyms include awkward, clumsy, gauche and graceless.

How do you use "Smooth" in a sentence?

Examples of "Smooth" in a sentence: "a smooth salesman of expensive jewelry"; "it should be smooth going from this point on"; "a smooth skating rink".

Is "Smooth" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Smooth" can be used as an adjective, a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Smooth" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B1-level word, "Smooth" is typical of Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), IELTS band 4.0–5.0, TOEFL iBT 42–71, PTE Academic 43–58, TOEIC Listening & Reading 550+.

How do you pronounce "Smooth"?

"Smooth" is pronounced /ˈsmüt͟h/.