The Oxford Thesaurus An A-Z Dictionary of Synonyms - genteel adj.

1) over-polite, unnatural, pretentious, affected, mannered, putting on airs, pompous, overdone, Colloq posh, la-di-da or lah-di-dah or la-de-da, phoney or US also phony, Brit county: The Brumfits are a bit too genteel for my taste. 2) courtly, polite, civil, well-mannered, well-bred, courteous, mannerly, gracious, proper, respectable, decorous, ladylike, gentlemanly, chivalrous, cavalier, debonair, suave, patrician, high-class, upper-class, aristocratic, thoroughbred, blue-blooded, noble, royal, Colloq classy, tony, upper crust, US silk-stocking: His son married a woman from an ancient, genteel house. 3) refined, polished, sophisticated, debonair, suave, urbane, cosmopolitan, cultivated, cultured, elegant, Colloq ritzy: Why small feet are considered genteel, I cannot say.