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Synonyms

swank

1 American  
[swangk] / swæŋk /

noun

  1. dashing smartness, as in dress or appearance; style.

  2. a swagger.

adjective

swanker, swankest

  1. stylish or elegant.

  2. pretentiously stylish.

verb (used without object)

  1. to swagger in behavior; show off.

swank 2 American  
[swangk] / swæŋk /

verb

  1. a simple past tense of swink.

swank British  
/ swæŋk /

verb

  1. (intr) to show off or swagger

"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

noun

  1. Also called: swankpot.  a swaggering or conceited person

  2. elegance or style, esp of a showy kind

  3. swagger; ostentation

"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

adjective

  1. another word (esp US) for swanky

"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 swank

1800–10; compare Scots swank lively, perhaps ultimately representing back formation from Old English swancor lithe; akin to Middle Dutch swanc supple, Middle High German swanken to sway

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.

Only seven other actors currently have a 100% win rate at the Oscars from two or more nominations - Vivien Leigh, Hilary Swank, Kevin Spacey, Luise Rainer, Christoph Waltz, Helen Hayes and Mahershala Ali.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2025

And if that’s the case, who the heck is Hilary Swank playing, anyway?

From Salon • Feb. 10, 2025

By winning that award, Swank became the first woman in academy history to win for playing a boxer, in “Million Dollar Baby.”

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 5, 2025

It was hoping for interest from the likes of stars with the same initials including former One Direction star Harry Styles, Hollywood star Hilary Swank or TV presenter Helen Skelton.

From BBC • Jan. 5, 2025

“How come you aren’t listening to me? My dad is here with half-men. Swank dressed, all of them. And he was talking about a ship.”

From "Ship Breaker" by Paolo Bacigalupi

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.