ritzy
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of ritzy
An Americanism first recorded in 1915–20, after the Ritz hotels founded by César Ritz (died 1918), Swiss entrepreneur; see ritz, -y 1
Explanation
Something ritzy is expensive and fancy, like a ritzy living room decorated with heavy brocade curtains and plush velvet cushions. If you're ever invited to a ritzy party, you'll want to dress up in your most luxurious clothes and prepare to enjoy delicious food and opulent decor. The informal adjective ritzy implies luxury that's a little over the top. It was coined around 1910, inspired by the famously elegant Ritz Hotels (™) that César Ritz opened starting internationally in the late 19th century.
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.
The public had also bid $15,000 on the olive-green painted wood front gates to the only home Monroe ever owned in the ritzy Brentwood neighbourhood.
From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026
JPMorgan Chase’s board of directors gathered late last year at Morgan’s, an English pub on the 13th floor of the bank’s ritzy new skyscraper.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 18, 2026
While $461 is a lot for a hotel room — and you’ll likely need to get two — perhaps your friends would be fine with less ritzy accommodations.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026
On Victoria Island, a ritzy neighbourhood where Lagos's old money mixes with new, the party was getting under way at Mr. Panther, a lounge six floors up from the streets below.
From Barron's • Dec. 22, 2025
We don’t go to ritzy places like this very often, so I order prosciutto-wrapped mozzarella as my appetizer, simply because I like the sound of the words.
From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper
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.
