noun
finesse
fih-NEHS
noun
1
Skilful and delicate handling of a difficult or sensitive situation.
"The negotiation required real finesse to keep both sides happy."
"She played the tricky solo with impressive finesse."
verb
1
To handle a tricky situation cleverly or skilfully, often to get around a problem.
"He managed to finesse his way out of an awkward question."
How to Use Finesse
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishDoing something tricky or delicate with skill and subtlety rather than brute force.
Common pairings
with finesse
finesse a deal
lack finesse
Word Forms
finessed past tense, finesses plural, finesses singular
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Etymology
From Old French finesse, related to fin ("fine, refined"), ultimately from Latin finis ("an end") — the sense evolved from "refinement" to "a skilful, subtle way of getting what you want."