What does finesse mean?
Word: Finesse
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: Finesse means great skill and delicate care in the way something is done.
Synonyms: flair, subtlety
How do you spell finesse?
Syllables: fi - nesse
Tricky part: The word came from French and kept a French ending: a double s and then a silent e. Stopping at the double s is the usual slip.
Watch out for: finess, finese
Memory tip: French borrowings such as largesse dress up at the end. Give this one the same outfit, with a quiet e trailing behind the pair of s's.
Finesse in a sentence
Example 1: The young batter placed the ball between two fielders with real finesse.
Example 2: Decorating the wedding cake took patience and finesse.
Example 3: She settled the quarrel between her two friends with finesse, and nobody felt left out.
Fun Fact
English took this word whole from French, where it suggests delicacy and refinement. It also works as a verb: to finesse a tricky problem is to deal with it in a clever, roundabout way.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
One letter in this word is not needed. Find it:
finnesse
a) n
b) i
c) s
d) e
Show answer
a) n. Only one n belongs here, straight after the short i.
Mingle-Mangle
Unscramble the jumbled word in the sentence and choose the correct word:
The young sitar player ran through the hardest passage with such sfesien that the judges stood up to clap.
a) finesse
b) firmness
c) fitness
d) fineness
Show answer
a) finesse. Fitness has a t, firmness an r and an m, and fineness a second n, so the letters fit one word only.
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is misspelt. Choose the meaning of that word:
1. vociferous 2. finesse 3. camaraderie 4. ubiquitus
a) the friendly trust between team-mates
b) shouting opinions loudly and often
c) a deft touch in a difficult task
d) seeming to be found in every place
Show answer
d) seeming to be found in every place. Ubiquitous has lost the o of its ending.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word finesse as used in the sentence:
The carpenter fitted the tiny hinges with finesse, and the box closed without a sound.
a) elegance
b) grace
c) clumsiness
d) polish
Show answer
c) clumsiness. Clumsiness means moving or working in an awkward, careless way.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which job depends most on finesse?
a) loading bricks on a truck
b) carrying sacks of rice
c) sweeping a long corridor
d) repairing an antique clock
Show answer
d) repairing an antique clock
2. A cook who shows finesse is one who ____
a) follows the same menu every day
b) buys the costliest spices in town
c) balances flavours with a light, sure hand
d) finishes all the cooking very quickly
Show answer
c) balances flavours with a light, sure hand
