adjective
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neat and spruce in dress and bearing; trim
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small and nimble
Other Word Forms
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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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.
“When private planes are coming, the tower has to let them land—despite the commercial scheduling—and it messes people up,” says Fletcher, wearing a dapper suit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
In interviews the dapper artist with his trademark flat cap waxed lyrical about the place where he was locked down during the Covid-19 pandemic.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
Take, for instance, the dapper child who grimaces squarely at the camera with a wad of cash in his hands.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 1, 2026
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
To everyone’s surprise, the dapper accountant agreed to attend the meeting.
From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
