courteousness
courteousness — noun
1. behaviour that shows respect, good manners, and thoughtfulness towards other peo
behaviour that shows respect, good manners, and thoughtfulness towards other people — for instance, holding a door open for a stranger or listening attentively when someone speaks.
The hotel staff treated every guest with warmth and courteousness from the moment they arrived.
collocation: treat someone with courteousness
In some cultures, courteousness requires you to remove your shoes before entering a home.
Ravi showed great courteousness when he gave his seat on the bus to an elderly woman.
A handwritten thank-you note is a simple gesture of courteousness that leaves a lasting impression.
The Watanabe family is known in the neighbourhood for their quiet courteousness towards everyone.
- politeness
the most common and neutral term for respectful behaviour in everyday situations
- courtesy
can refer to both the general quality and a specific polite gesture; more versatile than courteousness
- civility
slightly more formal, often used in public or institutional contexts to describe minimal standards of respectful behaviour
- graciousness
implies warmth, kindness, and elegance in addition to basic politeness
- rudeness
the direct and most common opposite; behaviour that shows a lack of respect
- discourtesy
the formal opposite; deliberate or careless lack of politeness
- impoliteness
a straightforward antonym covering failure to follow social norms of politeness
用法筆記
Frequently used in formal or appreciative contexts to describe a person's consistent manner of treating others, rather than a single polite act (for which 'courtesy' is more natural).