swanky
Americanadjective
adjective
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expensive and showy; stylish
a swanky hotel
-
boastful or conceited
Usage
What does swanky mean? Swanky means fancy, stylish, or classy, especially in a showy or expensive way. It is often used informally. Swanky can refer to something that is ostentatious (over the top) or something that is very elegant. Either way, the unifying element is fanciness. Example: Anna doesn’t usually get a chance to eat at fancy restaurants, so she really enjoyed the gourmet food at the swanky office party.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of swanky
Explanation
Swanky things are fancy and stylish, like a swanky hotel lobby with sparkling chandeliers, plush furniture, and elegant guests. You can also call swanky things ritzy or classy. They're expensive and luxurious, like a swanky car, a swanky apartment building with a doorman, or a swanky neighborhood where only movie stars can afford to live. The adjective swanky comes from its less-common synonym swank, which stems from the now-obsolete verb swank, "to behave ostentatiously."
Vocabulary lists containing swanky
"The Landlady" by Roald Dahl
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The Catcher in the Rye
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A Wealth Of Words: Synonyms for "Rich"
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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.
See Examples For:
For example, instead of a living room, they fashioned a swanky cocktail lounge complete with a custom bar, a Yamaha piano, and retro swivel chairs.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 27, 2026
This latest project takes its name from the address in the swanky 1st arrondissement of Paris where Coco Chanel lived in an iconic apartment above her boutique.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
Awards season is around the corner, with opponents ready to duke it out in the ring of swanky luncheons and Hollywood hobnobbing.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
Pounding surf lashing the swanky California enclave of Malibu on Tuesday opened up a giant sinkhole on the driveway of a house reportedly belonging to US actor Nicolas Cage.
From Barron's ● Sep. 8, 2026
He folded his blanket in a swanky way.
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
The basic Five Star service comes with Admirals Club access, but Tara dropped me off at the swankier Flagship lounge because it wasn’t busy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 23, 2026
This is a basic desk from a lesser-known vendor, and I was a bit skeptical when it was offered to me for testing after having used swankier desks from the likes of Vari.
From Seattle Times ● Dec. 28, 2023
They will also have a new pick-up shelf and parking spots for mobile orders, along with a more technologically advanced kitchen and a swankier interior.
From Salon ● Aug. 22, 2023
Cattle deaths from train collisions isn't new in India, though the media's scrutiny of these deaths has increased over the past few years as the country launches newer, swankier trains.
From BBC ● Apr. 6, 2023
"It seems hardly possible that your activities would be confined largely to going to the cinema, to the swankier night clubs and eating in the more famed restaurants."
From The Common Man by George Luther Schelling
We met in a cozy bar at the Crockfords, one of the swankiest luxury hotels on the north end of the Las Vegas Strip.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 8, 2026
At one end of the Haslegrave Ground on the university campus, in the shadow of English cricket's National Performance Centre, is a marquee, big enough to hold the swankiest wedding.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2024
Ukrainian officials gathered over afternoon drinks last month at the penthouse bar of the 11 Mirrors, one of Kyiv’s swankiest hotels.
From New York Times ● Sep. 11, 2023
It was one of the grandest and swankiest parties held in generations, with pricey tickets and a level of pomp befitting the figurative coronation of the general who had preserved the Union.
From Salon ● Dec. 24, 2022
In the matter of meals, since the rations one feels Hedonistic ideals have so soundly been shaken That even the swankiest Duke might say, "Thankee!"
From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 156, March 5, 1919 by Various
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