Smoothness

smooth  (sm)

adj. smooth·er, smooth·est

1. Having a surface free from irregularities, roughness, or projections; even. See Synonyms at level.

2. Having a fine texture: a smooth fabric.

3.

a. Free from hair, whiskers, or stubble: felt his smooth cheek after the close shave.

b. Having a short dense flat coat. Used of dogs.

4. Having an even consistency: a smooth pudding.

5. Having an even or gentle motion or movement: a smooth ride.

6. Having no obstructions or difficulties: a smooth operation.

7. Serene: a smooth temperament.

8. Bland: a smooth wine.

9. Ingratiatingly polite and agreeable.

10. Having no grossness or coarseness in dress or manner.

v. smoothed, smooth·ing, smoothes

v.tr.

1. To make (something) even, level, or unwrinkled.

2. To rid of obstructions, hindrances, or difficulties.

3. To soothe or tranquilize; make calm.

4. To make less harsh or crude; refine.

v.intr.

To become smooth.

n.

1. The act of smoothing.

2. A smooth surface or part.

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[Middle English smothe, from Old English smth.]

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smoother n.

smoothly adv.

smoothness n.

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Smoothness 

1. (The syllables) flow like wind on water —T. Coraghessan Boyle
2. Glib as an auctioneer —James Crumley
3. Go down like milk and molasses —Russell Baker
4. Goes down like chopped hay —John Ray’s Proverbs
5. It [a drink] was about as smooth as a rusty hacksaw —Harold Adams
6. (Cold,) polished as a marble column —Honoré de Balzac

   Balzac’s description deftly characterizes Gosbeck, the main character in a short novel by that name.

7. Sleek and pretty as a new dime —Borden Deal

   See Also: BEAUTY

8. (Her breasts protruded from the suds wet and) sleek as seals —Jean Thompson
9. Slick as a button —American colloquialism

   Unlike “Smooth as glass” or “Smooth as alabaster” which usually describe texture, this generally applies to something easily done. Other widely used variations to describe a glib, shrewd person are “Slick as an eel” and “Slick as grease.”

10. Slick as a cake of soap —Charles Wright
11. Slick as a pig —R. Wright Campbell
12. (Would make my life as) slick as a sonnet —Tallulah Bankhead
13. Slick as spit —James Lee Burke
14. Slick as a water snake —George Garrett
15. [Wet streets] slick as black satin —Paige Mitchell
16. Slick as black marble —Donald McCaig
17. [An icy roof] slick as cake icing —Davis Grubb
18. Slick as nail polish —Rosellen Brown
19. Slick as snot —Jonathan Kellerman
20. Slick as water —Terry Bisson
21. (Her glasses were) slippery as icicles —Cynthia Ozick
22. Smooth as a carpet —John Ray’s Proverbs

    Still widely used … or as one might say “Popular and enduring as a John Ray proverb.”

23. Smooth as a kitten’s ear —Slogan, Hammond Cedar Company
24. Smooth as a phantom —John Betjeman
25. (His movement was as) smooth as a ripple of water —Raymond Chandler
26. Smooth as a sage —Lawrence Durrell
27. (Her mind, clear and as) smooth as a sea stone beaten by the waves and elements for a millenium —Charles Johnson
28. Smooth as a suburbanized television professor —Harvey Swados
29. Smooth as corn syrup —Helen Hudson
30. (Her skin was as) smooth as glass —English ballad

    Probably one of the most frequently used “Smooth as” comparisons, with ‘slick’ and ‘smooth’ often used interchangeably, as in “The frozen lake was slick as a mirror,” found in Mark Helprin’s short story, Ellis Island.

31. Smooth as marbles —Anon
32. (Voice) smooth as mink oil —Linda Barnes
33. Smooth as monumental alabaster —William Shakespeare
34. Smooth as oil —William Shakespeare
35. (The sea was) smooth as pewter plate —Mazo De La Roche
36. Smooth as pine-nuts —Suzanne E. Berger
37. (Works as) smooth as sand running through an hour glass —William Diehl
38. (Glasses) smooth as sea-washed stones —Ann Beattie
39. (Cheeks) smooth as silk —Juvenal

    Though first used to describe complexion, the simile was expanded to broader use by O. Henry when he wrote “Everything goes smooth as silk.”

40. Smooth as skin in oil —Reynolds Price
41. (The fellow was) smooth as soap —Jessamyn West
42. (Skin) smooth as stones on the shore —Mary Morris
43. Smooth as the inner lips of a shell —Sharon Olds

    The shell comparison is used by poet Olds to describe the reddened, sun-swollen lips of the author’s daughter.

44. Smooth as the nose of a moth —Karl Shapiro
45. Smooth as the road to ruin —Anon
46. (He shrugged and rolled up his sleeves. Both forearms were as) unmarked as a baby’s bottom —Jonathan Valin
47. Worn smooth and slick as a chewed bone —George Garrett
48. Worn smooth as a tiger’s eye —Sharon Sheehe Stark

Thesaurus

Noun	1.	smoothness - a texture without roughness; smooth to the touch; "admiring the slim smoothness of her thighs"; "some artists prefer the smoothness of a board" texture - the feel of a surface or a fabric; "the wall had a smooth texture" silkiness, sleekness - the smooth feel of silk fabric slick, slipperiness, slickness, slip - a slippery smoothness; "he could feel the slickness of the tiller" powderiness, fineness - having a very fine texture; "the fineness of the sand on the beach" burnish, glossiness, polish, gloss - the property of being smooth and shiny raggedness, roughness - a texture of a surface or edge that is not smooth but is irregular and uneven
	2.	smoothness - powerful and effective language; "his eloquence attracted a large congregation"; "fluency in spoken and written English is essential"; "his oily smoothness concealed his guilt from the police" eloquence, fluency expressive style, style - a way of expressing something (in language or art or music etc.) that is characteristic of a particular person or group of people or period; "all the reporters were expected to adopt the style of the newspaper"
	3.	smoothness - the quality of being bland and gracious or ingratiating in manner suaveness, suavity, blandness graciousness - excellence of manners or social conduct
	4.	smoothness - the quality of having a level and even surface; "the water was a glassy smoothness"; "the weather system of the Pacific is determined by the uninterrupted smoothness of the ocean" invariability, evenness - a quality of uniformity and lack of variation
	5.	smoothness - the quality of being free from errors or interruptions; "the five-speed manual gearbox is smoothness personified" effortlessness - the quality of requiring little effort; "such effortlessness is achieved only after hours of practice"

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smoothness

noun

1. evenness, regularity, levelness, flushness, unbrokenness The lawn was rich, weed-free, and trimmed to smoothness.

2. fluency, finish, flow, ease, polish, rhythm, efficiency, felicity, smooth running, slickness, effortlessness the strength and smoothness of his movements

3. ease, simplicity, straightforwardness, effortlessness, easiness the smoothness of the procedure

4. sleekness, softness, smooth texture, silkiness, velvetiness the smoothness of her skin

5. suavity, urbanity, oiliness, glibness, smarminess (Brit. informal) His cleverness, smoothness even, made his relationships uneasy.

Translations

smoothness [ˈsmuːðnɪs] N

1. [of hair] → suavidad f; [of skin] → suavidad f, tersura f

2. [of road, surface] → lo llano; [of stone] → lisura f

3. [of sea, lake] → tranquilidad f, calma f

4. [of paste, sauce] → homogeneidad f

5. [of landing] → la suavidad, lo suave; [of flight, crossing, journey] → lo poco accidentado

6. (= ease) [of transition, takeover] → lo poco conflictivo

7. [of flavour, whisky, cigar, voice, sound] → suavidad f

8. [of style, prose] → fluidez f

9. (pej) [of person, manners] → zalamería f

smoothness [ˈsmuːðnɪs] n

[skin] → douceur f; [surface] → toucher m lisse
smooth-running [ˈsmuːðrʌnɪŋ] adj [business, organization] → qui marche bien
smooth-shaven [ˌsmuːðˈʃeiv^ən] adj → rasé(e) de près
smooth-talking [ˈsmuːðtɔːkɪŋ] adj → enjôleur/euse

smoothness

n

(of texture etc) → Glätte f; (of sea) → Ruhe f; (of road, surface) → Ebenheit f; (of skin) → Glätte f, → Weichheit f; it has the smoothness of silk → es ist seidenweich

(in consistency) (of paste) → Sämigkeit f; (of sauce) → Glätte f

(of motion, flight, crossing) → Ruhe f; (of gear change) → Weichheit f; (of takeoff, landing) → Sanftheit f; (of breathing, flow) → Gleichmäßigkeit f; (of fit) → Genauigkeit f

(= ease: of transition, functioning, relations) → Reibungslosigkeit f

(in taste, of whisky etc) → Weichheit f; (of coffee) → Milde f

(of style of writing, diction) → Flüssigkeit f; (of tones) → Sanftheit f

(pej, of manners, salesman) → Glätte f; (of person) → (aal)glatte Art (pej)

smoothness [ˈsmuːðnɪs] n (of stone, wood) → levigatezza; (of skin) → morbidezza; (of sauce) → omogeneità; (of sea) → calma; (of trip, life) → tranquillità; (of manner) → mellifluità