Noun: finesse fi'ness
- A highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality
"they performed with great finesse";
- polish, refinement, finish
- Subtly skilful handling of a situation
"The negotiator's finesse resulted in a deal acceptable to all parties";
- delicacy, diplomacy, discreetness
- Avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
"The politician finessed the difficult question with a vague response";
- hedge, fudge, evade, put off, circumvent, parry, elude, skirt, dodge, duck [informal], sidestep, circumnavigate
Derived forms: finessed, finesses, finessing
Type of: avoid, flawlessness, ne plus ultra, perfection, tact, tactfulness
Encyclopedia: Finesse