smooth

A2 Topic:Cause, Change & Process

US /smuːð/ See IPA manual

Freq #3478

Meanings

1

adj
Having an even surface with no bumps, lumps, or rough parts.

The baby's skin felt soft and smooth.
2

adj
Happening or moving steadily, without sudden movements or problems.

We had a smooth flight with no delays.
3

verb
To make something flat and even by rubbing or pressing it.

She smoothed the wrinkles out of the tablecloth.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

2 adj · happening or moving... fluent

3 verb · to make something flat and... smoothensmooth out

More downy flat frictionless lanate level silken silklike silky sleek slightvelutinousvelvety

Opposites

bumpy coarse rough textured uneven

Word family

Forms smoothedsmoothersmoothessmoothestsmoothingsmooths

Derived forms besmoothnanosmoothnonsmoothnonsmoothnessoutsmoothoversmoothpresmoothresmoothsemismoothsmooth-brainedsmooth-facedsmooth-haired

Etymology

Etymology tree Old English smōþ Middle English smothe Proto-West Germanic *smanþī Old English smēþe Middle English smethe English smooth From Middle English smothe, smethe, from Old English smēþe, smōþ, both from Proto-West Germanic *smanþī, of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots smuith (“smooth”), Saterland Frisian smoud (“smooth”), Low German smood and smödig (“smooth, malleable, ductile”), Dutch smeuïg (“smooth”) (from earlier smeudig).

smothe Middle English smēþe Old English *smanþī Proto-West Germanic

View etymology graph ->

External links

# smooth

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** adj, verb
**IPA (US):** /smuːð/
**Frequency rank:** 3478

## Meanings
1. Having an even surface with no bumps, lumps, or rough parts.
2. Happening or moving steadily, without sudden movements or problems.
3. To make something flat and even by rubbing or pressing it.

## Examples
- The baby's skin felt soft and smooth.
- We had a smooth flight with no delays.
- She smoothed the wrinkles out of the tablecloth.

## Synonyms
- downy
- flat
- frictionless
- lanate
- level
- silken
- silklike
- silky
- sleek
- slight
- velutinous
- velvety

## Antonyms
- bumpy
- coarse
- rough
- textured
- uneven

## Derived Forms
- besmooth
- nanosmooth
- nonsmooth
- nonsmoothness
- outsmooth
- oversmooth
- presmooth
- resmooth
- semismooth
- smooth-brained
- smooth-faced
- smooth-haired

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: smothe
- Root: smēþe
- Root: *smanþī

## Etymology
Etymology tree Old English smōþ Middle English smothe Proto-West Germanic *smanþī Old English smēþe Middle English smethe English smooth From Middle English smothe, smethe, from Old English smēþe, smōþ, both from Proto-West Germanic *smanþī, of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots smuith (“smooth”), Saterland Frisian smoud (“smooth”), Low German smood and smödig (“smooth, malleable, ductile”), Dutch smeuïg (“smooth”) (from earlier smeudig).

## AI Etymology
The etymological chain for smooth runs Old English smōþ Middle English smothe Proto-West Germanic *smanþī Old English smēþe Middle English smethe English smooth From Middle English smothe, smethe, from Old English smēþe, smōþ, both from Proto-West Germanic *smanþī, of unknown origin. Cognate with Scots smuith (“smooth”), Saterland Frisian smoud (“smooth”), Low German smood and smödig (“smooth, malleable, ductile”), Dutch smeuïg (“smooth”) (from earlier smeudig). Important forms in the word's history include Middle English smothe, Old English smēþe, Proto-West Germanic *smanþī. In current use it includes senses such as Having an even surface with no bumps, lumps, or rough parts and Happening or moving steadily, without sudden movements or problems.

## Topics
- Cause, Change & Process

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