discreet means respectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassment; quiet; diplomatic. It carries an Arena rating of 1647, earned across 10 head-to-head judged battles.
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, discreet ranks #121 of 17,126 for Most Elegant Words, #1,295 of 17,134 for Most Malleable Words, #3,384 of 17,127 for Words That Escaped Their Books, #3,778 of 17,132 for Most Betrayed by Its Sound.
discreet is pronounced /dɪˈskɹiːt/.
Why “discreet” is a great word
Exercising caution and good judgment, especially in speech or action, to avoid causing offense or attracting attention. From Middle English *discrete*, from Old French *discret*, from Latin *discrētus* ("separated, distinct"), past participle of *discernere* ("to separate, distinguish"). Unlike "discrete" (which denotes a separate, distinct entity) or "obvious" (which is readily apparent and often clumsy), "discreet" is a quality of practiced separation—the self from the scene, the comment from the company, the intention from its execution. It is the lowered voice in a crowded room, the unmarked door on a busy street, the gift given without fanfare—a philosophy of purposeful quiet in a world that mistakes noise for substance.
Etymology
From Middle English discrete, from Old French discret, from Latin discrētus, from past participle of discernere. Doublet of discrete.
adj
- Respectful of privacy or secrecy; exercising caution in order to avoid causing embarrassment; quiet; diplomatic.e.g.“With a discreet gesture, she reminded him to mind his manners.”
- Not drawing attention, anger or challenge; inconspicuous.
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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