finesse

• POS: Noun, Verb (usu participle)
• HYPHEN: fi=nesse

CIDE DICTIONARY

finesse, n. [F., fr. fin fine. See Fine, a.].

•  Subtilty of contrivance to gain a point; artifice; stratagem.  [1913 Webster]

  "This is the artificialest piece of finesse to persuade men into slavery."  [1913 Webster]
•  The act of finessing. See Finesse, v. i., 2.  [1913 Webster]

finesse, v. i. 

•  To use artifice or stratagem.  Goldsmith.  [1913 Webster]
•  To attempt, when second or third player, to make a lower card answer the purpose of a higher, when an intermediate card is out, risking the chance of its being held by the opponent yet to play.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

finesse, n. & v.
--n.
1 refinement.
2 subtle or delicate manipulation.
3 artfulness, esp. in handling a difficulty tactfully.
4 Cards an attempt to win a trick with a card that is not the highest held.
--v.
1 intr. & tr. use or achieve by finesse.
2 Cards a intr. make a finesse. b tr. play (a card) by way of finesse.
3 tr. evade or trick by finesse.

Etymology

F, rel. to FINE(1)

THESAURUS

finesse

Italian hand, ability, acquired taste, acuteness, address, adeptness, adroitness, airmanship, angle, appreciation, appreciation of differences, appreciation of excellence, appreciativeness, art, artfulness, artifice, artisanship, artistic judgment, artistry, astuteness, beguile, bluff, bravura, brew, brilliance, cabal, cageyness, callidity, canniness, capability, capacity, choiceness, civilized taste, civilizedness, cleverness, collude, collusion, command, competence, complicity, complot, con, concoct, confederacy, connivance, connive, connoisseurship, conspiracy, conspire, contrivance, contriving, control, cook up, coordination, countermine, counterplot, covin, craft, craftiness, craftsmanship, critical niceness, criticalness, cultivated taste, cultivation, culture, cunning, cunningness, daintiness, dash, deceit, deceive, deception, deep-laid plot, deftness, delicacy, delude, device, dexterity, dexterousness, dextrousness, diplomacy, discretion, discriminating taste, discriminatingness, discrimination, discriminativeness, dodge, efficiency, elan, elegance, engineer, engineering, excellence, expedient, expertise, expertness, exploit, facility, fastidiousness, feel, feeling, finagle, finagling, fine Italian hand, fine palate, fool, foxiness, frame, frame up, frame-up, game, gamesmanship, good taste, grace, gracefulness, gracility, graciosity, graciousness, grip, guile, handiness, hatch, hatch a plot, hatch up, hoodwink, horsemanship, ingeniousness, ingenuity, insidiousness, intrigue, inventiveness, jockey, judiciousness, knack, know-how, lay a plot, little game, machinate, machination, making distinctions, maneuver, maneuvering, manipulate, manipulation, marksmanship, mastership, mastery, niceness, niceness of distinction, nicety, one-upmanship, operate, outwit, palate, panache, play, plot, plotting, polish, practical ability, proficiency, prowess, quality, quickness, readiness, refined discrimination, refined palate, refinement, resource, resourcefulness, rig, rigging, ruse, satanic cunning, savoir-faire, savvy, scheme, schemery, scheming, seamanship, selectiveness, sense, sensibility, sensitivity, sharpness, shift, shiftiness, shrewdness, skill, skillfulness, slipperiness, slyness, sneakiness, sophistication, sophistry, stealth, stealthiness, stratagem, strategy, style, subtilty, subtleness, subtlety, suppleness, tact, tactfulness, talent, taste, tastefulness, technical brilliance, technical mastery, technical skill, technique, timing, trick, trickiness, twist and turn, underplot, virtuosity, wangle, wariness, web of intrigue, wile, wiles, wiliness, wire-pulling, wit, wizardry, workmanship

ROGET THESAURUS

finesse

Skill

N skill, skillfulness, address, dexterity, dexterousness, adroitness, expertness, proficiency, competence, technical competence, craft, callidity, facility, knack, trick, sleight, mastery, mastership, excellence, panurgy, ambidexterity, ambidextrousness, sleight of hand, seamanship, airmanship, marksmanship, horsemanship, rope-dancing, accomplishment, acquirement, attainment, art, science, technicality, technology, practical knowledge, technical knowledge, knowledge of the world, world wisdom, savoir faire, tact, mother wit, discretion, finesse, craftiness, management, self-help, cleverness, talent, ability, ingenuity, capacity, parts, talents, faculty, endowment, forte, turn, gift, genius, intelligence, sharpness, readiness, invention, aptness, aptitude, turn for, capacity for, genius for, felicity, capability, curiosa felicitas, qualification, habilitation, proficient, masterpiece, coup de maitre, chef d'euvre, tour de force, good stroke, skillful, dexterous, adroit, expert, apt, handy, quick, deft, ready, gain, slick, smart, proficient, good at, up to, at home in, master of, a good hand at, au fait, thoroughbred, masterly, crack, accomplished, conversant, experienced, practiced, skilled, hackneyed, up in, well up in, in practice, in proper cue, competent, efficient, qualified, capable, fitted, fit for, up to the mark, trained, initiated, prepared, primed, finished, clever, cute, able, ingenious, felicitous, gifted, talented, endowed, inventive, shrewd, sharp, on the ball, cunning, alive to, up to snuff, not to be caught with chaff, discreet, neat-handed, fine-fingered, nimble-fingered, ambidextrous, sure- footed, cut out for, fitted for, technical, artistic, scientific, daedalian, shipshape, workman- like, business-like, statesman-like, skillfully, well, artistically, with skill, with consummate skill, secundum artem, suo Marte, to the best of one's abilities, ars celare artem, artes honorabit, celui qui veut celui-la peut, c'est une grande habilite que de savoir cacher son, expertus metuit, es bildet ein Talent sich in der Stille sich ein C, heart to conceive, the understanding to direct, or the hand to execute, if you have lemons, make lemonade.

Cunning

N cunning, craft, cunningness, craftiness, subtlety, artificiality, maneuvering, temporization, circumvention, chicane, chicanery, sharp practice, knavery, jugglery, concealment, guile, doubling, duplicity, foul play, diplomacy, politics, Machiavelism, jobbery, backstairs influence, art, artifice, device, machination, plot, maneuver, stratagem, dodge, sidestep, artful dodge, wile, trick, trickery, ruse, ruse de guerre, finesse, side blow, thin end of the wedge, shift, go by, subterfuge, evasion, white lie, juggle, tour de force, tricks of the trade, tricks upon travelers, espieglerie, net, trap, Ulysses, Machiavel, sly boots, fox, reynard, Scotchman, Jew, Yankee, intriguer, intrigant, floater, Indian giver, keener, repeater, cunning, crafty, artful, skillful, subtle, feline, vulpine, cunning as a fox, cunning as a serpent, deep, deep laid, profound, designing, contriving, intriguing, strategic, diplomatic, politic, Machiavelian, timeserving, artificial, tricky, tricksy, wily, sly, slim, insidious, stealthy, underhand, subdolous, deceitful, slippery as an eel, evasive, crooked, arch, pawky, shrewd, acute, sharp, sharp as a tack, sharp as a needle, canny, astute, leery, knowing, up to snuff, too clever by half, not to be caught with chaff, tactful, diplomatic, politic, polite, cunningly, slyly, slily, on the sly, by a side wind, diamond cut diamond, a' bis ou a blanc, fin contre fin, something is rotten in the state of Denmark.

VB be cunning, have cut one's eyeteeth, contrive, live by one's wits, maneuver, intrigue, gerrymander, finesse, double, temporize, stoop to conquer, reculer pour mieux sauter, circumvent, steal a march upon, overreach, throw off one's guard, surprise, snatch a verdict, waylay, undermine, introduce the thin end of the wedge, play a deep game, play tricks with, ambiguas in vulgum spargere voces, flatter, make things pleasant, have an ax to grind, dodge, sidestep, bob and weave.

Taste

N taste, good taste, refined taste, cultivated taste, delicacy, refinement, fine feeling, gust, gusto, tact, finesse, nicety, to prepon, polish, elegance, grace, judgment, discernment, dilettantism, dilettanteism, virtu, fine art, culture, cultivation, aesthetics, man of taste, connoisseur, judge, critic, conoscente, virtuoso, amateur, dilettante, Aristarchus, Corinthian, arbiter elegantiarum, stagirite, euphemist, caviare to the general, in good taste, cute, tasteful, tasty, unaffected, pure, chaste, classical, attic, cultivated, refined, dainty, esthetic, aesthetic, artistic, elegant, euphemistic, to one's taste, to one's mind, after one's fancy, comme il faut, tire a quatre epingles, elegantly, nihil tetigit quod non ornavit, chacun a son gout, oculi pictura tenentur aures cantibus, taste, flavor, gust, gusto, savor, gout, relish, sapor, sapidity, twang, smack, smatch, aftertaste, tang, tasting, degustation, gustation, palate, tongue, tooth, stomach, sapid, saporific, gustable, gustatory, gustful, strong, gamy, palatable.