smooth
Americanadjective
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free from projections or unevenness of surface; not rough.
smooth wood; a smooth road.
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generally flat or unruffled, as a calm sea.
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free from hairs or a hairy growth.
a smooth cheek.
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of uniform consistency; free from lumps, as a batter, sauce, etc.
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free from or proceeding without abrupt curves, bends, etc..
a smooth ride.
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allowing or having an even, uninterrupted movement or flow.
smooth driving.
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easy and uniform, as motion or the working of a machine.
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having projections worn away.
a smooth tire casing.
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free from hindrances or difficulties.
a smooth day at the office.
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noting a metal file having the minimum commercial grade of coarseness for a single-cut file.
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undisturbed, tranquil, or equable, as the feelings, temper, etc.; serene.
a smooth disposition.
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elegant, easy, or polished.
smooth manners.
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ingratiatingly polite or suave.
That salesman is a smooth talker.
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free from harshness, sharpness, or bite; bland or mellow, as cheese or wine.
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not harsh to the ear, as sound.
the smooth music of a ballroom dance band.
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Phonetics. without aspiration.
adverb
verb (used with object)
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to make smooth of surface, as by scraping, planing, or pressing.
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to remove (projections, ridges, wrinkles, etc.) in making something smooth (often followed by away orout ).
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to free from difficulties.
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to remove (obstacles) from a path (often followed byaway ).
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to make more polished, elegant, or agreeable, as wording or manners.
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to tranquilize, calm, or soothe (a person, the feelings, etc.).
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Mathematics. to simplify (an expression) by substituting approximate or certain known values for the variables.
noun
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act of smoothing.
She adjusted the folds with a smooth of her hand.
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something that is smooth; a smooth part or place.
through the rough and the smooth.
verb phrase
adjective
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resting in the same plane; without bends or irregularities
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silky to the touch
smooth velvet
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lacking roughness of surface; flat
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tranquil or unruffled
smooth temper
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lacking obstructions or difficulties
-
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suave or persuasive, esp as suggestive of insincerity
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( in combination )
smooth-tongued
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(of the skin) free from hair
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of uniform consistency
smooth batter
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not erratic; free from jolts
smooth driving
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not harsh or astringent
a smooth wine
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having all projections worn away
smooth tyres
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maths (of a curve) differentiable at every point
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phonetics without preliminary or simultaneous aspiration
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gentle to the ear; flowing
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physics (of a plane, surface, etc) regarded as being frictionless
adverb
verb
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to make or become flattened or without roughness or obstructions
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to take or rub (away) in order to make smooth
she smoothed out the creases in her dress
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to make calm; soothe
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to make easier
smooth his path
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electrical engineering to remove alternating current ripple from the output of a direct current power supply
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obsolete to make more polished or refined
noun
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the smooth part of something
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the act of smoothing
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tennis squash badminton the side of a racket on which the binding strings form a continuous line Compare rough
Synonym Usage
See level.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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oversmoothnessnoun
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smoothernoun
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smoothnessnoun
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unsmoothnessnoun
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presmoothverb (used with object)
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resmoothverb (used with object)
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oversmoothadjective
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smoothableadjective
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unsmoothadjective
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unsmoothedadjective
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oversmoothlyadverb
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smoothlyadverb
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unsmoothlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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smoothsimple
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smoothssimple
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have smoothedperfect
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has smoothedperfect
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am smoothingprogressive
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are smoothingprogressive
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is smoothingprogressive
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have been smoothingperfect progressive
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has been smoothingperfect progressive
Past
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smoothedsimple
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had smoothedperfect
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was smoothingprogressive
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were smoothingprogressive
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had been smoothingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of smooth
First recorded before 1050; (adjective) Middle English smothe, late Old English smōth; compare Middle English smethe, Old English smēthe “smooth”; cognate with Old Saxon smōthi; (verb) late Middle English smothen, derivative of the adjective; replacing Middle English smethen, Old English smēth(i)an
Explanation
Something smooth is free of roughness, stubble, or other imperfections that you can feel with your hands. If your wooden table is giving you splinters, use a sander to smooth it down and make it smooth. As you can see, smooth works as both a verb and an adjective. Smooth has lots of interesting uses: Caught in a wind storm? Better smooth out your hair when you head inside. Got a friend who's good with the ladies? Try imitating his smooth moves. Need help to smooth out a dispute between two friends? Invite them out for coffee and offer to help them smooth out their differences. Some pianists prefer ivory keys to plastic because they're less smooth, and their fingers don't slip. The best dancers can move smoothly from one move to another.
Vocabulary lists containing smooth
Mellow Out: Synonyms for "Calm"
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Unit 4: Powerful Openings
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Cormac McCarthy's "The Road"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The technique here is simple: Roast the berries until their juices thicken, chill them completely, then blend with yogurt and buttermilk until smooth.
From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026
But they have helped to smooth over ties with the European Union, frayed by Orban's closeness to the Kremlin.
From Barron's ● Jul. 21, 2026
“We must smooth out corporate financing channels, and guide capital toward early-stage startups, smaller enterprises, long-term investments and core hard tech,” Chinese leader Xi Jinping told a science congress this month.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
"Initially I was a little apprehensive but it was very smooth and much less heavy when chilled," he says.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
I place the ‘umeke in Dad’s hands, and he cradles it. I’ve taken fine-grit sandpaper to the outside to make it smooth and polished it with coconut oil so it gleams. “This is really beautiful.”
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
Manufacturers often add chemicals that alter the liquid's surface tension to create smoother, more uniform coatings.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
EES is meant to modernise the EU's system of border control, making it more secure and eventually making travel smoother.
From BBC ● Jul. 2, 2026
Lately, however, Micron and Sandisk have been taking steps to make their financial performance smoother and more predictable.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 26, 2026
Arabica, the smoother bean used in many premium coffees, was also hurt by Brazil’s weather problems.
From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026
Each day the pieces of the cross grew smoother and better shaped, for Brother Luke would examine them and show how they were too wide here or too uneven there.
From "The Door in the Wall" by Marguerite de Angeli
The smoothest option is to hold the item in the opposite hand.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
But it hasn’t always been the smoothest ride.
From Barron's ● Nov. 21, 2025
Australia may be unbeaten but did not start this tournament in the smoothest fashion, with individual performances digging their batting line-up out of trouble in their opening matches.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2025
“Not the smoothest of rides to get here,” first baseman Freddie Feeman added.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2025
The bowls had been filled with the smoothest tóshchíín Jason had ever seen.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
The dynamism of the singing and dancing smooths out some of the adaptation’s rough edges.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
It removes friction, smooths edges, and hands you the answer before you’ve had a chance to reach for it yourself.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Whatever the case, the monthly average of new claims smooths out the weekly ups and downs and gives a better sense of labor-market conditions.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 12, 2026
This smooths out optical distortions while avoiding extra noise that could be mistaken for real gravitational-wave signals.
From Science Daily ● Dec. 4, 2025
Rubio straightens his clothes and Feathers smooths out her hair, ready to work.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
But they smoothed over the tensions during Petro's visit to the White House in February.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
"What used to look like a single structure now resolves into many, and details that were smoothed away before, are now clearly visible."
From Science Daily ● May 12, 2026
“Over time, he stuck closer to his briefing book. The sharp edges were smoothed, reducing points of conflict as well as the information content,”
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 25, 2026
The five-time major champion also smoothed his return by paying fines said to be worth around £63m.
From BBC ● Apr. 9, 2026
Audrey smoothed her hands over her white shirt, then patted the back pocket of her pink shorts to check for her phone.
From "Keep It Together, Keiko Carter" by Debbi Michiko Florence
Increasingly, luxury resorts and lodges are smoothing the learning curve, pairing upscale accommodations with fully outfitted excursions that take care of the logistics.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
These accounts collide with the present era’s eerie uncertainty at every turn, making for an altogether riveting, cyclical listening experience that tells her life’s story without smoothing its contradictions.
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
It can work for some people who prefer the “pull off the Band-Aid approach,” but for most, smoothing out the tax consequences works best.
From MarketWatch ● May 26, 2026
Finds included bone pegs for stretching vellum as it dried, and tools such as knives and pumice stones for scraping and smoothing animal hides.
From BBC ● Mar. 25, 2026
She returns to the bed, smoothing the creased postcard against her leg.
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.