chic

[sheek]

adjective, chic·er, chic·est.

attractive and fashionable; stylish: a chic hat.

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.

Origin of chic

1855–60; < French < German Schick skill

Related formschic·ly, adverbchic·ness, nounsu·per·chic, adjectiveul·tra·chic, adjective

Can be confusedchic chick

Synonyms for chic

1. smart, elegant, modish.

Pronunciation note

The spelling pronunciation

[chik] /tʃɪk/ is considered nonstandard except when used facetiously.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for chicer

exclusive, swank, modern, elegant, trendy, stylish, mod, current, sharp, chichi, smart, clean, dapper, dashing, modish, natty, dap, faddish, voguish

British Dictionary definitions for chicer

chic

adjective

(esp of fashionable clothes, women, etc) stylish or elegant

noun

stylishness, esp in dress; modishness; fashionable good taste

any of various fashion movements based on a particular lifestyleradical chic; geek chic

Derived Formschicly, adverb

Word Origin for chic

C19: from French, of uncertain origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for chicer

chic

1856, as a noun, "style, artistic skill," from French chic, 19c. in "stylishness" sense, originally "subtlety" (16c.), of unknown origin, perhaps [Klein] related to German Schick "tact, skill," from Middle Low German schikken "arrange appropriately," or Middle High German schicken "to arrange, set in order;" or from French chicane, from chicanerie (see chicanery). The adjectival meaning "stylish" is from 1879 in English, "Not so used in F[rench]." [OED].