Synonyms for finesse
fɪˈnɛssfi·nesse

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:3.0 / 1 vote

1. finesse

   A contrivance or device may be either good or bad. A cheat is a mean advantage in a bargain; a fraud, any form of covert robbery or injury. Imposture is a deceitful contrivance for securing charity, credit, or consideration. A stratagem or maneuver may be of the good against the bad, as it were a skilful movement of war. A wile is usually but not necessarily evil.

   E'en children followed with endearing wile.

   Goldsmith Deserted Village, l. 184.

   A trick is often low, injurious, and malicious; we say a mean trick; the word is sometimes used playfully with less than its full meaning. A ruse or a blind may be quite innocent and harmless. An artifice is a carefully and delicately prepared contrivance for doing indirectly what one could not well do directly. A device is something studied out for promoting an end, as in a mechanism; the word is used of indirect action, often, but not necessarily directed to an evil, selfish, or injurious end. Finesse is especially subtle contrivance, delicate artifice, whether for good or evil. Compare FRAUD.

   Synonyms:
   art, artifice, blind, cheat, contrivance, craft, cunning, device, dodge, fraud, guile, imposture, invention, machination, maneuver, ruse, stratagem, subterfuge, trick, wile

   Antonyms:
   artlessness, candor, fairness, frankness, guilelessness, honesty, ingenuousness, innocence, openness, simplicity, sincerity, truth

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms:2.0 / 2 votes

1. delicacy, diplomacy, discreetness, finessenoun

   subtly skillful handling of a situation

   Synonyms:
   diplomatic negotiations, daintiness, dainty, diplomacy, delicacy, statesmanship, prudence, circumspection, slightness, discreetness, fineness, airiness, treat, fragility, kickshaw, goody, discretion, statecraft

Matched Categories

1. • Tact

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. finessenoun

   Synonyms:
   trick, stratagem, artifice, ruse, fraud, deception, cheat, wile, manœuvre

2. finesseverb

   Synonyms:
   use stratagem, practise tricks

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. finessenoun

   Synonyms:
   artifice, stratagem, maneuvering, ruses

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "finesse":

   fineness, delicacy, subtlety, acumen, sharpness

Suggested Resources

1. finesse

   Song lyrics by finesse -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by finesse on the Lyrics.com website.

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How to use finesse in a sentence?

1. Gary Bauer:

   We are unique in that we have a large presence in every congressional district, in every county in America, the temptation by politicians is to try and finesse these issues and move on, but no member will be able to claim ignorance.

2. Tiffany Fitzgerald:

   It is more about mental endurance and finesse and skill than it is strength and force, so you can play golf for a lifetime.

3. Brian Eno:

   I'm struck by the insidious, computer-driven tendency to take things out of the domain of muscular activity and put them into the domain of mental activity. The transfer is not paying off. Sure, muscles are unreliable, but they represent several million years of accumulated finesse.

4. Mark Witton:

   They likely wielded their heads with precision and finesse, despite their size, the head might be huge, but we can see that its well supported and mounted to a powerful, muscular body.

5. Gary Bauer:

   The temptation by politicians is to try and finesse these issues and move on, but no member will be able to claim ignorance.