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Synonyms

dashing

American  
[dash-ing] / ˈdæʃ ɪŋ /

adjective

  1. energetic and spirited; lively.

    a dashing hero.

  2. elegant and gallant in appearance and manner.

    a dashing young cavalry officer.

  3. showy; stylish.

dashing British  
/ ˈdæʃɪŋ /

adjective

  1. spirited; lively

    a dashing young man

  2. stylish; showy

    a dashing hat
"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • dashingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of dashing

First recorded in 1800–05; dash 1 + -ing 2

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.

Actually, a lot of assets are dashing investors’ expectations regarding how they should behave during such a difficult period.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

His arrest completes the social downfall of a man once toasted as the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite son and a dashing wartime helicopter pilot.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 21, 2026

It was Andresen's first race with his new French team and timed his finish perfectly, coming off the wheel of Vernon and dashing clear while Brennan and Welsford had to angle their way through traffic.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

Hours after he was pardoned, Cuellar filed for re-election as a Democrat, dashing Republicans' hope that he might switch parties and pad their narrow majority in the House of Representatives.

From BBC • Dec. 7, 2025

Two Step asked, dashing over to steady her.

From "Dactyl Hill Squad" by Daniel José Older

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.