swanky
Americanadjective
adjective
-
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
- swankily adverb
- swankiness noun
Etymology
Origin of swanky
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.
Silverstein blends in with the cool kids of the fashion world, often photographed at swanky Manhattan dinners wearing a silky dress, leather and high heels.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 25, 2026
Page Six, citing a fire department spokesman, reported that O'Hara was rushed to hospital before dawn from her home in the swanky Brentwood area of Los Angeles.
From Barron's • Jan. 30, 2026
Great crime fiction can take root almost anywhere—in a rock-strewn wilderness, a London legal sanctuary, or a swanky Manhattan apartment tower.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025
Glasspool will be marking their triumphant season with dinner at a swanky London restaurant with family, team members and sponsors.
From BBC • Nov. 27, 2025
“Where would I learn a swanky thing like that?”
From "The House of the Scorpion" by Nancy Farmer
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.
