Synonyms for polite

modified

1. Courteous

   courteous, civil, obliging, thoughtful, mannerly, attentive, pleasant, gentle, mild, nice, considerate, solicitous, conciliatory, conciliative, bland, honey-tongued, amiable, gracious, cordial, good-natured, sympathetic, interested, smooth, chivalrous, gallant, diplomatic, tactful, politic, benign, propitiatory, kindly, kind, courtly, benignant, affable, agreeable, complaisant, respectful, amenable, courtly, well-bred, genteel, gentlemanly, well-mannered, well-spoken, ceremonious, formal, proper, punctilious, sociable, ingratiating, neighborly, friendly.

   Antonyms rude*, impolite, insolent.

2. Refined

   polished, well-bred, cultured, urbane; see refined 2.

polite suggests a positive observance of etiquette in social behavior it is not polite to interrupt; courteous suggests a still more positive and sincere graciousness toward others that springs from an inherent thoughtfulness always courteous to strangers; civil implies merely a refraining from rudeness keep a civil tongue in your head; chivalrous implies disinterested courtesy toward women or devotion to the cause of the weak; gallant suggests a dashing display of courtesy, esp. to women her gallant lover