finesse

Meanings

Plural: finesses

Noun

subtly skillful handling of a situation
Skill in the handling or manipulation of a situation.
The property of having elegance, grace, refinement, or skill.
An adroit manoeuvre.
In bridge, whist, etc.: a technique which allows one to win a trick, usually by playing a card when it is thought that a card that can beat it is held by another player whose turn is over.

Verb

To evade (a problem, situation, etc.) by using some clever argument or stratagem.
To handle or manage carefully or skilfully; to manipulate in a crafty way.
To evade (a problem, situation, etc.) by using some clever argument or stratagem.
To obtain something from someone through trickery or manipulation.
To evade (a problem, situation, etc.) by using some clever argument or stratagem.
To attempt to win a trick by finessing.
To play (a card) as a finesse.
To play a ball out of the way of an opponent.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English finesse (“degree of excellence; (of metal) fineness, purity”), from Middle French finesse, Old French finesse (“fineness; delicacy; slenderness”), from fine, fin (“fine, thin”) (from Latin fīnis (“end”); compare Middle English fīn (“of superior quality; precious, valuable; admirable, pleasing; pure, refined; fineness, purity; delicate, exquisite, fine; sharp, thin”)) + -esse (suffix forming nouns describing the condition of being something).
The verb is derived from the noun.

Synonyms

delicacy, diplomacy, discreetness, finessing, zhoosh

Scrabble Score: 10

finesse is a valid Scrabble (US) TWL word
finesse is a valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
finesse is a valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 11

finesse is a valid Words With Friends word