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genteel

Adjective
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

Genteel describes manners, speech, or appearance that are polished and socially refined, sometimes implying affected respectability or pretension.

Detailed Definition
Genteel describes manners or appearance that seem polished, respectable, and upper-class. In older literary usage it can also suggest a carefully maintained social style, sometimes with irony.
Example
Example in poetry:
“A genteel beggar, an artful sage” complicates genteel, meaning refined or socially polished; The word may be sincere praise or satire of class manners; Austen-era poetry often associates genteel with propriety; A modern line: “Genteel applause hid the boardroom’s cruelty.”
Additional Notes
The word genteel is a somewhat literary social adjective in the quoted line and may be unfamiliar to some readers.; Found in the poem, Invisible by Elizabeth Devereux
Also Known As
refined polished cultured sophisticated
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