dandy
Americannoun
plural
dandies-
a man who is excessively concerned about his clothes and appearance; a fop.
-
Informal. something or someone of exceptional or first-rate quality.
Your reply was a dandy.
adjective
-
characteristic of a dandy; foppish.
-
Informal. fine; excellent; first-rate.
a dandy vacation spot.
noun
-
a man greatly concerned with smartness of dress; beau
-
a yawl or ketch
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dandy
First recorded in 1770–80; origin uncertain
Explanation
A man who is very concerned with how he looks can be called a dandy. The term is rather old-fashioned — it was commonly used to refer to such men in the 1800s, like the famous dandy Beau Brummell. As an adjective, dandy means excellent. If you think your new car is dandy, you're excited to own such a great car. In modern use, dandy is often used sarcastically, with just a small change in wording or emphasis: "My new car is just dandy. It's broken down twice today already!" The word dandy is also frequently used in the phrase "fine and dandy".
Vocabulary lists containing dandy
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
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Words from the 4th of July Songbook
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Murder on the Orient Express
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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.
This quarterly earnings season has been a Jim Dandy, pushing the full-year growth estimate for S&P 500 earnings from 15% back in February to 21% recently.
From Barron's • May 1, 2026
Taxpayers can thank entertainer George M. Cohan, who wrote the song known as Yankee Doodle Dandy, for this largess.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 6, 2026
The second favorite is Fierceness, who won last year’s Breeders’ Cup Juvenile and is coming off back-to-back wins in the Jim Dandy and Travers Stakes.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2024
In 1977, Flowers became a member of the final line up of T. Rex shortly before Marc Bolan's death, featuring on the band's final album, 1977's Dandy In The Underworld, and Bolan's Marc TV show.
From BBC • Sep. 8, 2024
After finishing high school, Dandy went to work at a lumber mill, knowing that if he stayed in Georgetown, his options would never widen.
From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
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.
