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.
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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
- dandiacal adjective
- dandiacally adverb
- dandily adverb
- dandyish adjective
- dandyishly adverb
- dandyism noun
Etymology
Origin of dandy
First recorded in 1770–80; origin uncertain
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.
All seemed just dandy until both eagles left their nest unattended, and ravens swooped in.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 3, 2026
Divided by competing urges to “join in and stand out,” the dandy exaggerates style to the point of satire and social impertinence.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 15, 2026
Yet he acquired a reputation as a dandy, a clever humorist and an intellectual showman, distinctly apolitical and seemingly a man of no convictions.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2025
The dandy, it turns out, is a local teenage fan of Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot who just happened to be at a real crime scene.
From BBC • Nov. 9, 2025
They loved the grooming, but sometimes they were a little shy of the dandy brush when we came close to tender spots.
From "Beyond the Bright Sea" by Lauren Wolk
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.
