Meaning & use
elegant
Last updated
UK/ˈelɪɡənt/
US/ˈelɪɡənt/
Meanings
adjectivecomparable
Graceful, refined and pleasing in style or manner.
Grammar: Before a noun or after a verb.
Patterns
- elegant in something
She wore an elegant black dress.
The hotel has an elegant dining room.
He had elegant manners.
adjectivecomparable
Simple and clever, solving something neatly with little effort.
Grammar: Used for ideas, methods and designs.
Patterns
- elegant solution
The mathematician found an elegant proof.
This is an elegant solution to the problem.
Word forms
| comparative | more elegant |
|---|---|
| superlative | most elegant |
Common combinations
- elegant solution
- An elegant solution.
- elegant dress
- An elegant dress.
- elegant simplicity
- Elegant simplicity.
- elegantly dressed
- Elegantly dressed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- graceful
- Stresses smooth movement.
- stylish
- Stresses fashion.
- refined
- Stresses polish and taste.
- sophisticated
- Stresses worldly experience.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: elegant or eloquent?
elegant vs eloquent
Eloquent describes fluent, persuasive speech.
Practice
Mathematicians call a proof elegant when it is:
Choose one answer.
Elegant proofs reach results simply.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “elegant”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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