chic
Americanadjective
noun
-
style and elegance, especially in dress.
Paris clothes have such chic.
-
stylishness; modishness.
the chic of the firstnighters.
-
casual and understated style, as in dress or décor, that expresses a specified trendy lifestyle or activity.
Black-rimmed glasses bring some geek chic to your outfit.
adjective
noun
-
stylishness, esp in dress; modishness; fashionable good taste
-
any of various fashion movements based on a particular lifestyle
radical chic
geek chic
Pronunciation
The spelling pronunciation is considered nonstandard except when used facetiously.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of chic
1855–60; < French < German Schick skill
Explanation
Something that's chic is fashionable or stylish. If you see a chic outfit in the window of a chic boutique, you might imagine that buying it will make you as chic as a fashion model. Chic can also be used as an noun to mean a specific type of stylishness or coolness, like a downtown urban chic (skinny jeans, perhaps), or nerdy chic (big glasses). Chic is a French word, so remember, whether it's an adjective or a noun, to pronounce it as “sheek” and not “chick,” so you can sound as chic as you look!
Vocabulary lists containing chic
The Perks of Being a Wallflower
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English Words Derived from French, List 5
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Lucky Broken 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.
His first guest is Irish singer Hozier and he’s finished episodes with legendary singer-songwriter Paul Simon and Chic co-founder, guitarist and producer Nile Rodgers.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
That summer, radio was a disco lovers’ paradise, as fizzy singles from the Bee Gees, Donna Summer and Chic also topped the chart.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 23, 2026
“Killah” interpolates a lick from Bowie’s “Fame”; “Perfect Celebrity” nods to NIN’s industrial funk; “Zombieboy” evokes the fizzy Champagne high that Chic figured out how to bottle.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2025
Guitar hero Nile Rodgers appeared to accidentally confirm that he and Chic would also be playing, during an acceptance speech at the Rolling Stone Awards in November.
From BBC • Jan. 2, 2025
I sighed, thinking back to the Shanghai Chic show.
From "The Red Car to Hollywood" by Jennie Liu
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.
