ENGLISH
REFERENCE

finesse

v.
C1 Advanced US //fɪˈnɛs// UK //fɪnˈɛs// fi·nesse Archaic Slang

v. to handle a difficult situation with great skill and style. In casual talk, it can also mean getting what you want by being clever or slightly sneaky.

v. to handle or manage a situation with great delicacy and skill. In contemporary informal usage, it describes the act of obtaining something through clever manipulation or social engineering.


SIMPLE

She managed to finesse the deal despite the difficult terms.

CONTEXTUAL

The diplomat had to finesse the negotiations to ensure both parties felt they had won something significant.

COMPLEX

While the technical requirements were daunting, the lead architect managed to finesse the final design to satisfy both the historical preservation society and the modern developers.

Synonyms
Origin

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.

Usage

Transitive verb; takes a direct object representing the situation or object being managed.

Pitfall

He finessed about the problemHe finessed the problemFinesse is a transitive verb and does not require a preposition like 'about' before the object.

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