smooth

SMOOTH/smuːð/

27 meanings of smooth

1
adjective
Having a surface that feels even and not rough to the touch.
Like glass, where your hand slides across with nothing to catch on.
The marble countertop felt smooth under her fingers.
Babies usually have very smooth skin.
Similareven, level, polished, sleek, silky
Oppositerough, uneven, bumpy, coarse
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2
adjective
Happening easily, without trouble or surprises.
Like a car ride on a flat road with no bumps.
The flight was smooth from takeoff to landing.
We had a smooth move into our new home.
Similareasy, seamless, effortless, trouble-free
Oppositedifficult, rocky, bumpy
3
verbtransitive
To make something flat and even, with no bumps or rough parts.
Like ironing a shirt to get rid of the wrinkles.
Smooth the dough with your hands before baking.
He smoothed the crumpled paper flat on the desk.
Similarsmoothen
Oppositeroughen, wrinkle, crumple, rumple
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4
verbtransitive
To make something easier to do or get through.
Like clearing rocks off a trail so walking is easier.
These steps will smooth the process for new students.
A clear guide smooths the path for beginners.
Similarease, facilitate
Oppositehinder, complicate, obstruct, impede
5
adjective
Flowing easily and pleasantly, without harsh or broken sounds.
Like a song that flows without any scratchy notes.
The singer has a smooth voice that carries across the hall.
His smooth delivery made the long speech easy to follow.
Similarflowing, fluent, fluid, mellifluous
Oppositehalting, choppy, jerky, harsh
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6
adjective
Having an even texture, with no lumps or bits in it.
Like pudding with no lumps in it.
Blend the soup until it is completely smooth.
This peanut butter is smooth, not chunky.
Similarcreamy, silky, velvety, even
Oppositelumpy, grainy, gritty, chunky
7
adjective
Charming and confident in a relaxed, polished way.
Like someone who always knows the right thing to say.
He was a smooth talker who could win over any crowd.
The host greeted guests with a smooth, easy charm.
Similarsuave, polished, urbane, slick, assured
Oppositeawkward, gauche, clumsy
8
adjective
Having an edge or surface with no bumps, points, or teeth.
Like the flat edge of a butter knife, not a saw.
The knife has a smooth blade rather than a serrated one.
Choose a leaf with a smooth edge for this craft.
Similareven, plain
Oppositeserrated, toothed, jagged
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9
adjective
Calm and still, without waves or rough movement.
Like a pond with no ripples on a still day.
The lake was smooth as glass at dawn.
We sailed across smooth water all afternoon.
Similarcalm, still, placid, glassy, tranquil
Oppositerough, choppy, stormy, turbulent
10
adjective
Having a soft, pleasant taste that is not sharp or bitter.
Like warm milk that goes down soft and easy.
This whiskey is remarkably smooth for its age.
She prefers a smooth coffee without any bitterness.
Similarmellow, mild, rounded, soft, velvety
Oppositeharsh, rough, astringent

11
adjective
Continuing in one piece, without breaks or sudden jumps.
Like a line drawn without lifting your pencil.
The dancer crossed the stage in one smooth motion.
The line on the graph was smooth, with no breaks.
Similarcontinuous, unbroken, seamless, flowing, fluid
Oppositejerky, choppy, broken
12
adjective
Easy and natural, without feeling forced or stiff.
Like moving in a way that feels easy and free.
Her smooth, natural gestures put everyone at ease.
He gave a smooth, relaxed performance on stage.
Similareasy, fluid, natural, effortless, relaxed
Oppositestiff, awkward, forced, stilted
13
verbtransitive
To make someone calmer or to ease a bad feeling.
Like patting a scared puppy until it relaxes.
Smooth the child's worries with a gentle hug.
Her calm words smoothed his temper.
Similarsoothe, calm, ease, allay
Oppositeaggravate, inflame
14
adjective
Describing a kind of muscle that works on its own, without you controlling it.
Like the muscles in your stomach that keep working without you thinking about them.
Smooth muscle lines the walls of the intestines.
The bladder squeezes using smooth muscle.
Oppositestriated
Note
15
verbtransitive
To press something flat or into a shape with force.
Like pressing a ball of dough flat with your hands.
Smooth the soft putty flat with a knife.
He smoothed the dough into a thin layer.
Similarflatten, press, shape
16
adjective
Charming and confident in a way that seems false or too practiced.
Like a salesperson who says all the right things but you still don't believe them.
He gave a smooth, well-rehearsed answer to every hard question.
The salesman was too smooth for me to trust him.
Similarglib, slick, suave, silky
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17
adverb
In an even, easy way, without bumps or trouble.
The new engine runs smooth and quiet.
Everything went smooth at the meeting today.
Similarevenly, easily
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18
nouncountable or uncountable
An easy, even part of something, without trouble or rough spots.
You take the rough with the smooth when you run a farm.
After the storm, sailors welcomed the smooth that followed.
Oppositerough
Note
19
nouncountable
An act of making something flat or even with a quick stroke or press.
She gave the tablecloth a quick smooth before the guests arrived.
He ran a smooth over his hair in the mirror.
20
adjective
In math, a curve or function that has no sharp corners or breaks anywhere.
Like a road with no bumps or sudden turns, so you keep going without a jolt.
Engineers prefer smooth curves that bend gently without sharp points.
The graph stayed smooth across its whole range.
Note
21
verbtransitive
To clean up data by keeping the main pattern and removing random noise.
Like wiping fog off a window so you can see the shape behind it.
Analysts smooth the raw numbers to reveal the underlying trend.
The software smoothed the audio to remove background hiss.
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22
adjective
In old Greek, a sound made without a puff of breath before it.
The smooth vowel begins without any breathy sound.
Greek marks a smooth start on words that lack the h-sound.
Oppositerough
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23
adjective
In math, a whole number that splits only into small prime factors.
Cryptographers avoid smooth numbers because they are easy to factor.
A smooth number breaks down into nothing but small primes.
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24
nouncountable
The cleaned-up result you get after removing noise from data.
The smooth showed a steady rise once the random jumps were gone.
They compared the raw data to the smooth from each method.
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25
nouncountable
A pet, such as a dog or cat, that has short, flat fur.
Like a cat with short, shiny fur instead of long, fluffy hair.
The breeder showed a smooth alongside the long-haired puppies.
Their new smooth has a sleek, glossy coat.
Note
26
verbdialectalWest Countrytransitive
To gently rub or pet an animal's fur with your hand.
Like running your hand along a cat's back to calm it.
Children love to smooth the soft rabbits at the petting zoo.
She smoothed the cat until it began to purr.
Similarstroke, pet, caress
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27
nouncountable
In 1970s Britain, a young person in a neat-dressing group that rejected hippie style.
The smooths gathered outside the dance hall in sharp, tidy clothes.
Her older brother had been a smooth back in 1974.
Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Old English words meaning smooth, from an older Germanic word whose origin is unknown.