ritzy

[rit-see]

adjective

Slang.

ritzier, ritziest 

1. swanky; elegant; posh.

   They bought a condo in a ritzy neighborhood.

   The fundraiser is going to be a ritzy gala affair downtown.

ritzy

/ ˈrɪtsɪ /

adjective

1. slang,  luxurious or elegant

Other Word Forms

• ritzily adverb
• ritziness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of ritzy¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1915–20, after the Ritz hotels founded by César Ritz (died 1918), Swiss entrepreneur; ritz, -y ¹

Example Sentences

Usually, this is due to impulse buying and upgrades in your lifestyle — a bigger apartment in a nicer neighborhood, or an extra vacation in a ritzy hotel.

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Tickets cost just a penny when the train opened in 1901, offering commuters a practical way to navigate the steep terrain between ritzy Bunker Hill housing and downtown Los Angeles offices.

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Shrugs one ritzy woman, “It stops them beating the Botox out of their wives.”

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When residents of a ritzy West L.A. neighborhood experienced an increase in burglaries last year, they decided to invest in technology to fight the problem.

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Our palm panoply extends to the ritzy Canary Island date palm, the pygmy date and windmill palms, and a mini-monarchy of queen and king palms, which look a little haphazardly asymmetrical.

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Related Words

• opulent 
• plush 
• posh 
• stately 
• swank