dashing
Americanadjective
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energetic and spirited; lively.
a dashing hero.
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elegant and gallant in appearance and manner.
a dashing young cavalry officer.
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showy; stylish.
adjective
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spirited; lively
a dashing young man
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stylish; showy
a dashing hat
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of dashing
Explanation
Someone who's dashing is stylish, with a certain bold, attractive spirit. Your dashing uncle might charm and impress your friends with his stories of travels around the world and his fashionable outfits. Characters in old books are frequently dashing — adventurous and gallant, like a dashing hero on a white horse or a dashing pirate seeking his fortune at sea. The adjective dashing is almost always used to describe men, and for that reason it's a bit old-fashioned. In the 18th and 19th centuries "to cut a dash" meant "to act brilliantly" or "to give a showy appearance," and dashing came from this meaning.
Vocabulary lists containing dashing
To All the Boys I've Loved Before
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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
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Almost American Girl
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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.
During the Great Depression, Robin was a dashing champion of the people.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2026
The head of Peru's election authority told AFP that the results of Sunday's presidential election may not be known for a fortnight, dashing hopes of a quick resolution to the ultra-tight race.
From Barron's ● Jun. 9, 2026
Like a tennis umpire, eyes forever dashing left and right, Labour folk do the same, politically and geographically.
From BBC ● May 3, 2026
Jonathan Cake cuts a dashing figure as Willy’s brother Ben, who has grown in Willy’s imagination into a fabulous conquistador.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 10, 2026
Barking, lifting his paws excitedly, then dashing away from us.
From "Paradise on Fire" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
