foppish

American  

[fop-ish] / ˈfɒp ɪʃ /

adjective

1. resembling or befitting a fop; excessively refined and fastidious in taste and manner.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• foppishly
  adverb
• foppishness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of foppish

First recorded in 1595–1605; fop + -ish ¹

Explanation

A man who is constantly checking out his outfit in the mirror might be foppish, or someone who loves dressing up in fancy clothes. For some reason, foppish is almost always used to describe men (not women), and that's why the word might make you think of an elegant suit, vest, and tie, and probably some over-the-top details like a flower in a buttonhole and a polka-dotted handkerchief. The word foppish also implies that this guy probably thinks he looks pretty good.

Example Sentences

Emerging from a cult of nonpersonality, where ordinary figures with unassuming names like Ian Brown ascended to British music royalty, Brett Anderson, Suede’s fey and foppish androgyne, reintroduced theatricality and glamour to the scene.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 2, 2025

Voisin, who has the mother-of-pearl skin that Balzac writes about, is perfectly cast as the naïve young poet who generates pity when he is foppish and humiliated at the theater.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2022

They’ve also made a celebrity of his foppish head of hair, a cross between a traditional mullet and ’80’s hair band singer.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 23, 2022

This highlander with a taste for French finery is, in fact, one of those charismatic rogues we simply can’t resist, like that foppish Caribbean pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, or the cocky galactic mercenary Han Solo.

From Washington Post • Jan. 20, 2021

Men began to wear their handkerchiefs in their sleeves and some foppish lieutenants carried swagger sticks.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck