dashing
Americanadjective
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energetic and spirited; lively.
a dashing hero.
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elegant and gallant in appearance and manner.
a dashing young cavalry officer.
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showy; stylish.
adjective
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spirited; lively
a dashing young man
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stylish; showy
a dashing hat
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of dashing
Explanation
Someone who's dashing is stylish, with a certain bold, attractive spirit. Your dashing uncle might charm and impress your friends with his stories of travels around the world and his fashionable outfits. Characters in old books are frequently dashing — adventurous and gallant, like a dashing hero on a white horse or a dashing pirate seeking his fortune at sea. The adjective dashing is almost always used to describe men, and for that reason it's a bit old-fashioned. In the 18th and 19th centuries "to cut a dash" meant "to act brilliantly" or "to give a showy appearance," and dashing came from this meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing dashing
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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Almost American Girl
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
From the Gay Gordons to The Dashing White Sergeant, the new guidelines hope to send out the message that Scottish country dancing is for everyone.
From BBC • Oct. 24, 2023
Watching the development unfold with mixed feelings is Tressie’s granddaughter, Tiffany Hollis, who lives in Johnstown where she runs Dashing Diner Uptown.
From Seattle Times • Jun. 28, 2022
Dashing back and forth between patches, the kids covered far more than eight miles, but arrived at the lodge with stained fingers and full bellies before 3 p.m.
From New York Times • Apr. 27, 2022
Dashing around the room, Khpalwak grabbed a robe to cover her bare arms and hid away a small set of decorative drums.
From Reuters • Sep. 3, 2021
Dashing to the bathroom, I splashed some cold water on my face before throwing on a fresh uniform and bolting out my door.
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
