adjective
-
neat and spruce in dress and bearing; trim
-
small and nimble
Other Word Forms
- dapperly adverb
- dapperness noun
- undapper adjective
Etymology
Origin of dapper
1400–50; late Middle English daper < Middle Dutch dapper nimble, stalwart; cognate with German tapfer brave
Explanation
A neatly and stylishly dressed man can be described as dapper. If you like to wear a well-made fedora, you appreciate clothes. Place a brightly colored feather in the brim and you’re dapper. Dapper is a Germanic word coming from a Middle Dutch word that meant "strong," "quick," or "nimble." Think of the words dashing, jaunty and spiffy when you think of dapper as these are all near synonyms. All of these words are used specifically to describe men. Although there doesn't seem to be a parallel term for a well-dressed woman, if you call her chic or stylish, she will be pleased.
Vocabulary lists containing dapper
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "D"
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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.
Lowe’s dapper sartorial choices are but one of the many qualities that make him so revered.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026
Looking dapper in a pink tux, the star dedicated his prize to "everyone in this room who believes in the power of black music".
From BBC • Feb. 2, 2026
Rakell Foye supplied the period costumes—the Devil got a dapper suit and hat, and Robert’s outfit changed from country-boy drab to a slick purple outfit when he became the Delta King.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 9, 2025
Wardlaw looks like a skinny Santa Claus with long white hair and beard, but he was dressed somberly Saturday night, like a dapper Scrooge after his epiphany.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025
It’s funny how ten seconds ago, he was tiny Simon Spier in a wolf shirt—and suddenly, out of nowhere, he’s this dapper guy in a tux.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
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.
