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Synonyms

jaunty

American  
[jawn-tee, jahn-] / ˈdʒɔn ti, ˈdʒɑn- /

adjective

jauntier, jauntiest

  1. easy and sprightly in manner or bearing.

    to walk with a jaunty step.

  2. smartly trim, as clothing.

    a jaunty hat.
jaunty British  
/ ˈdʒɔːntɪ /

adjective

  1. sprightly, self-confident, and cheerful; brisk

    a jaunty step

  2. smart; trim

    a jaunty 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

  • jauntily adverb
  • jauntiness noun
  • unjaunty adjective

Etymology

Origin of jaunty

First recorded in 1655–65; earlier jentee, juntee, from French gentil “noble, gentle” ( genteel ), with ending taken as -y 1

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.