Smooth

How to spell smooth

6 letters · 1 syllable

How to pronounce smooth

What does smooth mean?

1. adjectiveHaving an even surface free from roughness, lumps, or interruptions.
2. verbTo make a surface even or to remove difficulties from a process.

Smooth in a sentence

• adjective

  The new countertop felt cool and smooth under her hand.

• verb

  She used a spatula to smooth the icing across the cake.

• adjective

  After sanding, the wood was perfectly smooth to the touch.

• verb

  A good mediator can smooth relations between the two teams.

Where does smooth come from?

Language of origin: Germanic

This is a native English word, descending from Old English smōth, a variant of smēðe, which described a surface that was even, free of roughness, or pleasant to the touch. The word belongs to the Germanic family, though its deeper relatives outside English are surprisingly thin, which has led scholars to treat its earliest roots as somewhat uncertain. Over the centuries the meaning broadened from purely physical evenness to figurative senses, so a person could have a smooth manner and a plan could run smoothly, much as a polished plank has no splinters. The spelling kept the double o and the th, while losing the older eth and thorn letters that Old English once used to write the th sound. A useful memory hook is that smooth never takes a final e, unlike many verbs, so resist the urge to write smoothe even when you use it as a verb.

How the word is built

• smooth (whole root from Old English smōth/smēðe, meaning even or polished); no separable prefix or suffix