finesse

Skill in dealing with people or difficult situations in a careful, clever way.

• She handled the complaint with finesse.
• The talks required considerable finesse.
• His political finesse helped settle the dispute.

Similar words: tact, skill, diplomacy

Opposites: clumsiness

Common phrases: with finesse, diplomatic finesse, handle with finesse

A quality of beauty, smoothness, or fine skill in how something is done.

• Her dancing has real finesse.
• The performance combined power with finesse.
• His playing lacked the finesse of the older musicians.

Similar words: elegance, grace, refinement

Opposites: clumsiness

Common phrases: artistic finesse, technical finesse, lack finesse

A clever action used to get the result you want.

• It was a clever finesse.
• That tactical finesse saved the agreement.
• She won through a series of small finesses.

Similar words: manoeuvre, ploy

Common phrases: a clever finesse, a tactical finesse

A card-playing move that tries to win by taking advantage of where an opponent’s stronger card is.

• The finesse won the trick.
• She tried a finesse against the king.
• Their second finesse failed because the queen was in the wrong hand.

Common phrases: take a finesse, successful finesse, diamond finesse

To manage something carefully and cleverly, sometimes by controlling people without their noticing.

• She finessed the details of the deal.
• He finessed a difficult negotiation.
• We need someone who can finesse these arrangements.

Similar words: manage, handle, manipulate

Common phrases: finesse a deal, finesse the details, finesse an arrangement

To avoid a problem or difficult question by using a clever excuse or plan.

• He tried to finesse the question.
• They finessed the problem with a clever legal argument.
• Can we finesse this difficulty without delaying the deal?

Similar words: sidestep, evade, circumvent

Common phrases: finesse a problem, finesse the issue, finesse a question

To get something from someone by tricking them or cleverly influencing them.

• He finessed free tickets from the promoter.
• She finessed some cash from an unsuspecting tourist.
• They tried to finesse a refund from the shop.

How to use it: finesse something from someone (He finessed a free meal from the owner.)

Similar words: con, swindle

Common phrases: finesse something from someone, finesse free tickets

To try a card-playing move based on which opponent may hold a stronger card.

• She decided to finesse.
• He finessed the queen and won the trick.
• Should we finesse against the king?

How to use it: finesse against a card (They finessed against the king of spades.)

Common phrases: finesse the queen, finesse against someone, finesse in hearts