suave adj

1 having a sophisticated charm; "a debonair gentleman" [syn: debonair, debonaire, debonnaire]

2 smoothly agreeable and courteous with a degree of sophistication; "he was too politic to quarrel with so important a personage"; "the hostess averted a confrontation between two guests with a diplomatic change of subject"; "the manager pacified the customer with a smooth apology for the error"; "affable, suave, moderate men...smugly convinced of their respectability" - Ezra Pound [syn: politic, smooth]

English

Etymology

Latin suavis

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -ɑːv, -eɪv

Adjective

1. Charming, confident and elegant.

Noun

1. Sweet talk

References

• Paternoster, Lewis M. and Frager-Stone, Ruth. Three Dimensions of Vocabulary Growth. Second Edition. Amsco School Publications: USA. 1998.

Related terms

• suavely

Spanish

Etymology

Latin suavis

Adjective

1. suave, soft, smooth

Suave is a brand name based in Chicago, IL used by the Unilever company in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Targeting discount stores, the brand represents more than 100 products including shampoo, lotions, soaps and deodorant.

Suave started in the United States in 1937 as a hair tonic. The brand eventually was acquired by Unilever which, in the 1970s, started expanding the Suave name beyond hair care into other areas.

Noting the rise of discount stores such as Wal-Mart, in the 1990s Unilever instituted a broad strategy, called "The Power of Value" to leverage its Suave brand to sell a complete line of discount personal care products in contrast to its high-profile brands such as Helene Curtis, Calvin Klein and Salon Selectives lines. Sales of the Suave line of products grew from $500 million in 1995 to about $900 million in 2002.

External links

• Official web site

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