dapper

[ dap-er ]

adjective

1. neat; trim; smart:

   He looked very dapper in his new suit.

   Synonyms: natty, jaunty, modish, spruce

2. lively and brisk:

   to walk with a dapper step.

3. small and active.

dapper

/ ˈdæpə /

adjective

1. neat and spruce in dress and bearing; trim
2. small and nimble

Derived Forms

• ˈdapperness, noun
• ˈdapperly, adverb

Other Words From

• dapper·ly adverb
• dapper·ness noun
• un·dapper adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of dapper¹

1400–50; late Middle English daper < Middle Dutch dapper nimble, stalwart; cognate with German tapfer brave

Word History and Origins

Origin of dapper¹

C15: from Middle Dutch: active, nimble

Example Sentences

New cast members, including the bubbly Teo and dapper dresser Jayden, seem bound to win over viewers just as quickly as their predecessors did.

From The Daily Beast

Watts later became known as a dapper dresser, who except when performing with the Stones, was generally seen wearing tailored suits and tweed jackets.

From Washington Post

She and her dapper husband were fixtures on the prewar Washington party circuit.

From Washington Post

Despite its lofty price tag and its dapper appearance, the 907X is fun—it feels considerably less formal than its film-based predecessors while turning out extremely high-quality images.

From Popular-Science

I look forward to the end of the pandemic for a number of reasons, and on that list is to be able to go out again and get my dapper on.

From TechCrunch

Being dapper is all about attention to detail, like sporting a perfectly tucked handkerchief in your suit pocket.

From The Daily Beast

For the dapper gent whose favorite accessory is a strong cocktail.

From The Daily Beast

When they got together, Culp looked dapper for a man in his late 70s.

From The Daily Beast

He captured a dapper looking student, Jeremy Marek, leaning against the side of his car.

From The Daily Beast

Clearly the dapper con men were not up to speed on all these recent developments.

From The Daily Beast

This was the house-physician, who was to take charge of the case; a young man, handsome and rather dapper.

From Project Gutenberg

But here was the editor himself—not merely his photograph: a little man, clad in evening dress, very neat and dapper.

From Project Gutenberg

There was Mary, as sweet and beautiful as ever; Mrs. Nast, calm and composed: Doug serene and dapper.

From Project Gutenberg

Dr. Rude was a small man, dapper, totally unlike a research chemist, and his speech and manner were as impeccable as his dress.

From Project Gutenberg

They took in the dapper Britisher as if he had been a natural history specimen.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• classy
• dashing
• rakish
• spry
• stylish