well-bred

adjective

ˈwel-ˈbred How to pronounce well-bred (audio)
Definition of well-brednext
as in polite
showing consideration, courtesy, and good manners a well-bred young woman who is unfailingly polite to everyone

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of well-bred As the sun set on the gentlemanly era of relationship banking, Wall Street needed to recruit huge numbers of the most talented—not just well-bred or best-connected—bankers to keep up. — Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for well-bred
  1. polite
  2. gracious
  3. civil
Adjective
  • Tonight's format, with Georgians asking the questions of candidates, meant a very polite back-and-forth between Jackson and Bottoms dominated the first half of the debate.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Cagle added that the photo showed a confident, brilliant, brave, polite, gracious, kind and gentle young man.
    — Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of polite
Adjective
  • Many accommodations here have private patios, adding to the feeling of staying in a gracious island home rather than a conventional hotel.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Stay at the gracious Hatchery House Bed-and-Breakfast in Weston.
    — Hannah Agran, Midwest Living, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of gracious
Adjective
  • He was found guilty in a subsequent civil trial, yet still awarded custody of the divorced couple’s two children.
    — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Chinese authorities have tightened their grip on the media, the legal profession, and civil society, limiting the space for Chinese citizens to discuss mounting social woes and extinguishing emerging calls for deeper political reform.
    — Carl Minzner, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of civil

Browse Nearby Words

wellborn
well-bred
well-conditioned
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Well-bred.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/well-bred. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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