smoothness
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smooth
(smo͞oth)adj. smooth·er, smooth·est
1.
a. Having a surface free from irregularities, roughness, or projections; even. See Synonyms at level.
b. Free from waves or disturbances; calm: The lake is smooth today.
2.
a. Free from hair, whiskers, or stubble: felt his smooth cheek after the close shave.
b. Having a short dense flat coat. Used of dogs.
3.
a. Having a fine texture: a smooth fabric.
b. Having an even consistency: a smooth pudding.
c. Having an even or gentle motion or movement: a smooth ride.
4. Having no obstructions or difficulties: a smooth operation; a smooth trip.
5. Easy-going; serene: a smooth temperament.
6. Not sharp or bitter in taste: a smooth wine.
7. Delicately pleasing to the ear; not harsh or grating: a smooth voice.
8. Ingratiatingly polite and agreeable: known for his smooth remarks.
v. smoothed, smooth·ing, smoothes
v.tr.
1. To make (something) even, level, or unwrinkled: smoothed the fabric with an iron.
2. To rid of obstructions, hindrances, or difficulties: a real estate agent who smoothed the process of applying for a mortgage.
3. To soothe or tranquilize; make calm: The president tried to smooth over the hurt feelings of the disputing factions.
4. To cause to appear less harsh or severe than is the case: Don't try to smooth over their faults.
v.intr.
To become smooth.
n.
1. The act of smoothing.
2. A smooth surface or part.
[Middle English smothe, from Old English smōth.]
smooth′er n.
smooth′ly adv.
smooth′ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Smoothness
- (The syllables) flow like wind on water —T. Coraghessan Boyle
- Glib as an auctioneer —James Crumley
- Go down like milk and molasses —Russell Baker
- Goes down like chopped hay —John Ray’s Proverbs
- It [a drink] was about as smooth as a rusty hacksaw —Harold Adams
- (Cold,) polished as a marble column —Honoré de Balzac
Balzac’s description deftly characterizes Gosbeck, the main character in a short novel by that name.
- Sleek and pretty as a new dime —Borden Deal
See Also: BEAUTY
- (Her breasts protruded from the suds wet and) sleek as seals —Jean Thompson
- Slick as a button —American colloquialism
Unlike “Smooth as glass” or “Smooth as alabaster” which usually describe texture, this generally applies to something easily done. Other widely used variations to describe a glib, shrewd person are “Slick as an eel” and “Slick as grease.”
- Slick as a cake of soap —Charles Wright
- Slick as a pig —R. Wright Campbell
- (Would make my life as) slick as a sonnet —Tallulah Bankhead
- Slick as spit —James Lee Burke
- Slick as a water snake —George Garrett
- [Wet streets] slick as black satin —Paige Mitchell
- Slick as black marble —Donald McCaig
- [An icy roof] slick as cake icing —Davis Grubb
- Slick as nail polish —Rosellen Brown
- Slick as snot —Jonathan Kellerman
- Slick as water —Terry Bisson
- (Her glasses were) slippery as icicles —Cynthia Ozick
- Smooth as a carpet —John Ray’s Proverbs
Still widely used … or as one might say “Popular and enduring as a John Ray proverb.”
- Smooth as a kitten’s ear —Slogan, Hammond Cedar Company
- Smooth as a phantom —John Betjeman
- (His movement was as) smooth as a ripple of water —Raymond Chandler
- Smooth as a sage —Lawrence Durrell
- (Her mind, clear and as) smooth as a sea stone beaten by the waves and elements for a millenium —Charles Johnson
- Smooth as a suburbanized television professor —Harvey Swados
- Smooth as corn syrup —Helen Hudson
- (Her skin was as) smooth as glass —English ballad
Probably one of the most frequently used “Smooth as” comparisons, with ‘slick’ and ‘smooth’ often used interchangeably, as in “The frozen lake was slick as a mirror,” found in Mark Helprin’s short story, Ellis Island.
- Smooth as marbles —Anon
- (Voice) smooth as mink oil —Linda Barnes
- Smooth as monumental alabaster —William Shakespeare
- Smooth as oil —William Shakespeare
- (The sea was) smooth as pewter plate —Mazo De La Roche
- Smooth as pine-nuts —Suzanne E. Berger
- (Works as) smooth as sand running through an hour glass —William Diehl
- (Glasses) smooth as sea-washed stones —Ann Beattie
- (Cheeks) smooth as silk —Juvenal
Though first used to describe complexion, the simile was expanded to broader use by O. Henry when he wrote “Everything goes smooth as silk.”
- Smooth as skin in oil —Reynolds Price
- (The fellow was) smooth as soap —Jessamyn West
- (Skin) smooth as stones on the shore —Mary Morris
- Smooth as the inner lips of a shell —Sharon Olds
The shell comparison is used by poet Olds to describe the reddened, sun-swollen lips of the author’s daughter.
- Smooth as the nose of a moth —Karl Shapiro
- Smooth as the road to ruin —Anon
- (He shrugged and rolled up his sleeves. Both forearms were as) unmarked as a baby’s bottom —Jonathan Valin
- Worn smooth and slick as a chewed bone —George Garrett
- Worn smooth as a tiger’s eye —Sharon Sheehe Stark
Similes Dictionary, 1st Edition. © 1988 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. | smoothness - a texture without roughness; smooth to the touch; "admiring the slim smoothness of her thighs"; "some artists prefer the smoothness of a board" texture - the feel of a surface or a fabric; "the wall had a smooth texture" slick, slipperiness, slickness, slip - a slippery smoothness; "he could feel the slickness of the tiller" powderiness, fineness - having a very fine texture; "the fineness of the sand on the beach" raggedness, roughness - a texture of a surface or edge that is not smooth but is irregular and uneven |
| 2. | smoothness - powerful and effective language; "his eloquence attracted a large congregation"; "fluency in spoken and written English is essential"; "his oily smoothness concealed his guilt from the police" expressive style, style - a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period; "all the reporters were expected to adopt the style of the newspaper" | |
| 3. | smoothness - the quality of being bland and gracious or ingratiating in manner graciousness - excellence of manners or social conduct | |
| 4. | smoothness - the quality of having a level and even surface; "the water was a glassy smoothness"; "the weather system of the Pacific is determined by the uninterrupted smoothness of the ocean" invariability, evenness - a quality of uniformity and lack of variation | |
| 5. | smoothness - the quality of being free from errors or interruptions; "the five-speed manual gearbox is smoothness personified" effortlessness - the quality of requiring little effort; "such effortlessness is achieved only after hours of practice" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
smoothness
noun
1. evenness, regularity, levelness, flushness, unbrokenness The lawn was rich, weed-free, and trimmed to smoothness.
2. fluency, finish, flow, ease, polish, rhythm, efficiency, felicity, smooth running, slickness, effortlessness the strength and smoothness of his movements
3. ease, simplicity, straightforwardness, effortlessness, easiness the smoothness of the procedure
4. sleekness, softness, smooth texture, silkiness, velvetiness the smoothness of her skin
5. suavity, urbanity, oiliness, glibness, smarminess (Brit. informal) His cleverness, smoothness even, made his relationships uneasy.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
نُعومَه
hladkost
gnidningsløs afvikling
sléttleiki; mÿkt
kolaylıkpürüzsüzlükrahatlık
smoothness
[ˈsmuːðnɪs] N3. [of sea, lake] → tranquilidad f, calma f
4. [of paste, sauce] → homogeneidad f
5. [of landing] → la suavidad, lo suave; [of flight, crossing, journey] → lo poco accidentado
6. (= ease) [of transition, takeover] → lo poco conflictivo
7. [of flavour, whisky, cigar, voice, sound] → suavidad f
8. [of style, prose] → fluidez f
9. (pej) [of person, manners] → zalamería f
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
smoothness
[ˈsmuːðnɪs] nCollins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
smoothness
n
(of texture etc) → Glätte f; (of sea) → Ruhe f; (of road, surface) → Ebenheit f; (of skin) → Glätte f, → Weichheit f; it has the smoothness of silk → es ist seidenweich
(in consistency) (of paste) → Sämigkeit f; (of sauce) → Glätte f
(of motion, flight, crossing) → Ruhe f; (of gear change) → Weichheit f; (of takeoff, landing) → Sanftheit f; (of breathing, flow) → Gleichmäßigkeit f; (of fit) → Genauigkeit f
(= ease: of transition, functioning, relations) → Reibungslosigkeit f
(of style of writing, diction) → Flüssigkeit f; (of tones) → Sanftheit f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
smoothness
[ˈsmuːðnɪs] n (of stone, wood) → levigatezza; (of skin) → morbidezza; (of sauce) → omogeneità; (of sea) → calma; (of trip, life) → tranquillità; (of manner) → mellifluitàCollins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
smooth
(smuːð) adjective1. having an even surface; not rough. Her skin is as smooth as satin.
2. without lumps. Mix the ingredients to a smooth paste.
3. (of movement) without breaks, stops or jolts. Did you have a smooth flight from New York?
4. without problems or difficulties. a smooth journey; His progress towards promotion was smooth and rapid.
5. (too) agreeable and pleasant in manner etc. I don't trust those smooth salesmen.
verb1. (often with down, ~out etc) to make (something) smooth or flat. She tried to smooth the creases out.
2. (with into or over). to rub (a liquid substance etc) gently over (a surface): Smooth the moisturizing cream into/over your face and neck.
ˈsmoothen verb to make smooth.
ˈsmoothly adverbThe plane landed smoothly; The meeting went very smoothly.
ˈsmoothness nounKernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.