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spiffing

British

/ ˈspɪfɪŋ /

adjective

slang excellent; splendid

"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

Etymology

Origin of spiffing

C19: probably from dialect spiff spruce, smartly dressed

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.

After spiffing up the biggest of its five Macau properties, Sands grew its share of the region’s gambling revenue and profit to about 25% and 30%, respectively, in the September quarter.

From Barron's • Dec. 23, 2025

A total of 10 students are now contributing, either by spiffing up the production or maintaining the Instagram account.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 26, 2024

"Blood pressure is working nicely, heart rate is working nicely, all of the physiological signals at the moment are telling me that you're in spiffing shape," Prof Bailey tells me.

From BBC • Jul. 29, 2023

Every home can use a bit of TLC every now and then, but spiffing it up doesn’t need to break the bank.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 7, 2019

His wife, who had demonstrated her originality by calling herself Mrs. Minor, was what is known as a spiffing cook and a top-notch dresser.

From Black Oxen by Atherton, Gertrude Franklin Horn

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023