posh
1 Americanadjective
-
posher,
comparative
-
poshest
superlative
interjection
adjective
-
smart, elegant, or fashionable; exclusive
posh clothes
-
upper-class or genteel
adverb
Usage
What else does posh mean? The adjective posh means that something or someone is rich, fancy, or otherwise smells of money.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of posh1
1915–20; of obscure origin; compare posh a dandy (recorded as British slang in 1890); the popular notion that the word is an acronym from port out(ward) , starboard home, said to be the preferred accommodation on ships traveling between England and India, is without foundation
Origin of posh2
First recorded in 1920–25
Explanation
Things that are posh are swanky, fancy, and high-class. Posh things usually cost a lot of money, too. If something is dirty, cheap, and shoddy, it will never be accused of being posh. Posh things are elegant and expensive. A posh apartment is gorgeous and classy. A posh restaurant has fancy food and you probably have to dress up to go there. Posh places are luxurious and fancy-schmancy. So it's no surprise that rich people tend to like things and places that are posh.
Vocabulary lists containing posh
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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.
See Examples For:
In 2019, Zendaya expanded her real estate empire to a spread in Encino, Calif., paying a reported $3.97 million for the posh property.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 23, 2026
The Seattle-based airline began nonstop flights to Rome and London earlier this year, flying Boeing 787 Dreamliners outfitted with the posh business-class suites big-spending business and vacation travelers demand today.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
But when you’re shelling out thousands for a posh pod, those things matter.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
A scholarship to Sedbergh School - "posh", in Brook's words - was where he honed his game, with 6.20am nets run by former Kent player Martin Speight.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
“Pish posh, governess. A day or so away from the schoolroom won’t do the cubs any harm.”
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
These days, the 35-year-old’s gigs are at posher places such as London’s Royal Opera House and the Salzburg Festival.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 19, 2024
The late senator, herself raised in a well-heeled Jewish family from a posher part of town, just had a knack for showing she cared about her fellow San Franciscans, no matter their background, Chacón said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2023
Mr. Adams was aware that this setting was posher than many of his constituents would be accustomed to.
From New York Times ● May 3, 2022
"Here, Comer speaks in an affectedly sanded-down version of her own Scouse accent, like Tessa has deliberately smoothed out her vowels in the name of blending in with her posher peers."
From BBC ● Apr. 28, 2022
If you just heard her voice next to Mum's you'd say Mum's posher.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
To say that Beacon Hill is the poshest part of Boston is not entirely true.
From Scientific American ● Nov. 2, 2023
Nichols’ covenants in Sunset Hill and Mission Hills, two of his poshest neighborhoods, were said by his company to have been copied in more than 50 cities.
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2023
This is the diplomatic equivalent of getting out the poshest plates and cutlery to impress the visitors.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2022
A nature-inspired playground overlooks a sandy beach with the poshest park restrooms I’ve ever seen.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 26, 2021
Kingfisher Meadows's the poshest estate in Black Swan Green, most kids reckon.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
