chichi

[ shee-shee ]

/ ˈʃiˌʃi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR chichi ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

showily or affectedly elegant or trendy; pretentious.

noun

a chichi person or thing.

the quality of being chichi.

Nearby words

chicha, chichagof island, chichen itzá, chichester, chichewa, chichi, chichihaerh, chichivache, chichén itzá, chick, chick flick

Origin of chichi

Borrowed into English from French around 1905–10

SYNONYMS FOR chichi

1 flashy, ostentatious, flamboyant.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR chichi ON THESAURUS.COM

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

Examples from the Web for chichi

There are a lot of chichi restaurants claiming to be “farm-to-table” these days.
Spaghetti for Breakfast?! Not So Crazy at This Idaho Farm Café|Jane & Michael Stern|August 4, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Their flash and trash made sense in LA—hulking hairdos, blinding bling, chichi couture, froufrou wheels, rococoocoo estates, etc.
What I Saw at the Revolution|Porochista Khakpour|February 11, 2009|DAILY BEAST
Chichi was the only one keeping up her aggressive and noisy enthusiasm.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse|Vicente Blasco Ibanez
Chichi was only a girl now, but later on she would thank her for having collected all these gems for her.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse|Vicente Blasco Ibanez

Rene, his only son, had succeeded in awakening in Chichi a certain interest that was almost love.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse|Vicente Blasco Ibanez
Chichi waxed indignant at her mother's credulity and her aunt's Germanism.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse|Vicente Blasco Ibanez
The first person that he encountered on his arrival was Chichi.
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse|Vicente Blasco Ibanez

British Dictionary definitions for chichi (1 of 2)

chichi

/ (ˈʃiːˌʃiː) /

adjective

affectedly pretty or stylish

noun

the quality of being affectedly pretty or stylish

Word Origin for chichi

C20: from French

British Dictionary definitions for chichi (2 of 2)

chichi

/ (ˈtʃiːˌtʃiː) /

noun plural chichis (formerly, in India)

a person of mixed British and Indian descent; Anglo-Indian
(as modifier)a chichi accent

Also (less common): chee-chee

Word Origin for chichi

C18: perhaps from Hindi chhī-chhī, literally: dirt, or perhaps imitative of their supposed singsong speech

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