1. Word finder
  2. Word definitions
  3. discreet

Find the word definition

What is "discreet"

Crossword clues for discreet

discreet
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
discreet
adjective
COLLOCATIONS FROM CORPUS
■ ADVERB
more
▪ Sign language is almost essential in shops too, but it's a little less embarrassing because you can be more discreet.
▪ They were rebuked as unwise and improper by the more discreet.
▪ Bodie walked down the stairs, through one of the fire doors, a more discreet position from which to watch.
▪ But leaders of such movements could easily work out less controversial and more discreet arrangements to satisfy their drives.
▪ Charcoal, navy or brown are more discreet than black or other colours.
▪ Smaller, more discreet means of cleaning up are preferable when you are out for a walk.
very
▪ We are all very discreet here, you see.
▪ It was all couched in very discreet language, the words never inflammatory.
▪ We were all pretty open with each other but very discreet outside.
■ NOUN
distance
▪ Gaily followed them at a discreet distance and watched as they lowered Miss Faith Lavender into her last resting place.
▪ Lightman immediately creates sympathy for Bennett, and yet holds him at a discreet distance.
▪ Billy rowed across and followed her at a discreet distance.
▪ As it was, it would be better to maintain a discreet distance.
▪ But then she smiled at him and slipped away quickly, following him at a discreet distance.
▪ Gustave often followed at a discreet distance.
▪ Ace helped her out, leading her towards a Range Rover parked a discreet distance away.
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
▪ A discreet nod indicated that he was ready to leave.
▪ A private detective was sent to make discreet inquiries about Miss Hutton's financial situation.
▪ Andrew's very discreet -- he won't tell anyone you're leaving.
▪ Chambers was discreet about the affair.
▪ He followed at a discreet distance.
▪ People might gossip if we arrived together. It would be much more discreet for us to go there separately.
▪ Skirt lengths are a discreet inch above the knee.
▪ We offer a discreet and personal service to our clients.
EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS
▪ Gaily followed them at a discreet distance and watched as they lowered Miss Faith Lavender into her last resting place.
▪ He was about to kiss her again when he heard a discreet cough.
▪ Marshall, according to some discreet enquiries he had made, was innocent of trespass - of any kind.
▪ Sign language is almost essential in shops too, but it's a little less embarrassing because you can be more discreet.
▪ The new arrangement caused much criticism of the administrative board members, who maintained a discreet silence.
▪ They were rebuked as unwise and improper by the more discreet.
▪ We were all pretty open with each other but very discreet outside.
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Discreet

Discreet \Dis*creet"\, a. [Compar. Discreeter; superl. Discreetest.] [F. discret, L. discretus separated (whence the meaning reserved, prudent), p. p. of discernere. See Discern, and cf. Discrete.]

  1. Possessed of discernment, especially in avoiding error or evil, and in the adaptation of means to ends; prudent; sagacious; judicious; not rash or heedless; cautious.

    It is the discreet man, not the witty, nor the learned, nor the brave, who guides the conversation, and gives measures to society.
    --Addison.

    Satire 's my weapon, but I 'm too discreet To run amuck, and tilt at all I meet.
    --Pope.

    The sea is silent, the sea is discreet.
    --Longfellow.

  2. Differing; distinct. [Obs.]
    --Spenser. -- Dis*creet"ly, adv. -- Dis*creet"ness, n.

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
discreet

mid-14c., "morally discerning, prudent, circumspect," from Old French discret "discreet, sensible, intelligent, wise," from Latin discretus "separated, distinct," in Medieval Latin "discerning, careful," past participle of discernere "distinguish" (see discern). Meaning "separate, distinct" in English is late 14c.\n

\nSpellings discrete and nativized discreet co-existed until after c.1600, when discreet became the common word for "careful, prudent," and discrete was maintained in philosophy, medicine, music and other disciplines that remembered Latin and made effort to obey it. Related: Discreetly.

Wiktionary
discreet

a. 1 Respectful of privacy or secrecy; quiet; diplomatic. 2 Not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous.

WordNet
discreet

  1. adj. marked by prudence or modesty and wise self-restraint; "his trusted discreet aide"; "a discreet, finely wrought gold necklace" [ant: indiscreet]

  2. unobtrusively perceptive and sympathetic; "a discerning editor"; "a discreet silence" [syn: discerning]

  3. heedful of potential consequences; "circumspect actions"; "physicians are now more circumspect about recommending its use"; "a discreet investor" [syn: circumspect]

Usage examples of "discreet".

De vrouw, die discreet achter een halfgesloten deur bleef staan, herinnerde haar aan de Hebreeuwse gebeden.

With a discreet pop, Luciano withdrew the cork from his hoarded Barolo, and poured a tiny mouthful for his wife and a glassful for himself.

Jacques-Marie Houdon was a barely discreet four steps behind Norma Bellini, Madoc noted with no great feeling of disappointment.

While British propaganda made the most of the German bombing of English cities, the German authorities mostly kept a discreet silence about bombs falling on Germany.

Another discreet arrival and departure later that day was that of the Foreign Secretary, Burgo Smyth.

The pink stucco hotel in the middle of the main drag had a big canopied patio out front and a discreet sign that said CASA DEL PONIENTE, Three valet carhops stood alertly outside in black vests and white shirts waiting to do anything you told them to do.

What this Monroney guy was offering was the first sensible proposition Malachi had seen since coming to this crazy country, an dover the next two and a half years, Malachi made more money than he had ever dreamed of making in ten careers in the Army--in cash, nice, green, untaxable cash, complete with accommodating Chinese bankers in Cholon who could move things around a network of extremely discreet banks all over the world.

Sheffield could answer, there was a discreet tap on the door of the Star Chamber and Saul Dagenham was ushered in.

It is not the familiar Doric of Syracuse, nor even the obscure Elymi or Sicani, for I have spoken with many Sicilian merchants and soldiers in my life, and none, during my discreet queries, recognized any of the words I attempted to parrot from the recollections of my infancy.

What made it all rather worse was that this nice discreet faceless old Etonian was alarmingly well informed.

There was a discreet tap at the door and Eupraxia appeared, bearing a little tray.

He did not care to wonder overmuch about the discreet timing of the communication, although he did realise that Fraxinus would almost certainly be gone from Khalorn by the time he returned from his own expedition in search of the elusive Checuti.

The room seemed to be getting smaller with discreet gazes turned her way.

They were all intensely curious but all, even the children, remarkably discreet: yet at one point Stephen noticed a tall, martial man leave a group of Catholic Ghegs and come deliberately towards them, twirling his moustache with a hand adorned with a magnificent amethyst: he had two silver-mounted pistols in the belt of what looked very like a cassock and a musket or perhaps a fowling-piece - no, a musket -over his shoulder, a pectoral cross showing beneath its butt.

Dawn Voth did some discreet investigation yesterday, and she reports that people all over New Ibadan are dreaming identical dreams.