finesse.

1. Deft, tactful skill in handling something delicate or difficult.

2. A card-play intended to win with a lower card by exploiting a higher card's position.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• handle with finesse
• diplomatic finesse

On the page

She settled the dispute with remarkable finesse.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary / elevated general. Forms: Usually uncountable; no ordinary plural in this sense. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Established modern English lexical item. No separate regional spelling or grammatical inflection entry. Writing functions: character, atmosphere, interpretation. Commonness: moderately common. Third-person singular: finesses.