Make Your Point, Jr. > Words in ABC Order > debonair

Study the word DEBONAIR: (Source) James Bond, the secret agent, has a confident air. (Source) Your "air" is your attitude: the way you act, the way you interact with people. And a French phrase that means "of good air" or "having a good attitude," gave us the word "debonair." Today, someone debonair is good-looking and handsome, always charming people around him with his cool, confident, graceful manners. (Source) We use the word "debonair" to describe men (in real life and in fiction) who are strong and self-assured, who carry themselves with pride and self-possession, and who know how to dress exceptionally well. In the gif above, you can see the debonair dancer, Fred Astaire, on the left, and his stunning partner, Ginger Rogers, on the right. (Notice how I called Fred debonair, but not Ginger. Even though Ginger is indisputably cool, confident, and good-looking, we don't apply the word "debonair" to women. It's a masculine word.) Sometimes, we talk about debonair clothes or debonair manners, but usually we talk about debonair men. Pictured below is Idris Elba, a debonair fellow who often plays debonair characters in movies. (Source) So, if you're describing a real person or a fictional character with excellent manners and a sharp sense of style, especially if his style is quite formal or even old-fashioned, call him debonair.   Make a flash card: You can write your own definition and choose your own picture, or copy mine. Term Definition Picture debonair relaxed and confident, as well as handsome and fashionable   Write your own sentence! You can use either of the two ideas I'll suggest, or you can invent your own. Include as much detail as you can! (Source)   Write a sentence with the word DEBONAIR: Remember: to be debonair is to look dressed-up and fancy and to treat everyone around you with charm and sophistication. Idea 1: "Looking as debonair as a movie star, (someone) (danced, strode, or drifted) over to me and said, '(Something very kind or polite).'" Idea 2: "The most debonair character in (some story, show, or movie) is (someone), who knows how to (do something impressive) and never (does something especially awkward or dorky)." You can type in here. When you're done, copy and paste your sentence wherever you'd like it to go.