natty

American  

[nat-ee] / ˈnæt i /

adjective

nattier, nattiest

1. neatly or trimly smart in dress or appearance; spruce.

   a natty white uniform.

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natty British  

/ ˈnætɪ /

adjective

1. informal smart in appearance or dress; spruce; dapper

   a natty outfit

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Other Word Forms

• nattily adverb
• nattiness noun
• nonnattily adverb
• nonnattilyness noun
• nonnatty adjective

Etymology

Origin of natty

1775–85; perhaps variant of neat ¹ + -y ¹

Explanation

Natty means current in style, both of dress and manners. A natty dresser is someone who is very stylish and has a snappy attitude. He may even be wearing a natty fedora. Natty is an adjective that comes from the 18th century. Originally it was a slang term, perhaps related to the adjective neat. These days, if you say someone “looks neat,” it might sound like they look clean, but it also can mean that they look fashionable and put together. That’s what natty means, too. Someone who is natty is wearing fashionable clothes and is generally hip.

Example Sentences

The best advice for junior-level financiers, according to Tim Gunn, the natty fashion author and academic: Read the room.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 7, 2026

In Hudson, N.Y., on a recent and rainy Friday night, some 35 people sat on a natty hodgepodge of couches and high-backed seats for the Queer Ass Film Club.

From New York Times • Feb. 1, 2024

“Our mission all year was natty or bust, so we know we got to finish the job.”

From Washington Times • Jan. 2, 2024

“Sometimes I’ll just be walking around campus and I’ll remember, ‘Oh, we won the natty.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 27, 2023

On one such night, Ammu, aged nine, hiding with her mother in the hedge, watched Pappachi’s natty silhouette in the lit windows as he flitted from room to room.

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy