Dapper
What it means
Neatly dressed with a lively, deliberate sense of style.
Reach for it when complimenting polished appearance without suggesting extravagance
The dapper bookseller paired a linen suit with green socks.
Words to choose between 6
| playful | |
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm |
|
| professional | |
| literary |
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playful
Fits when a brisk, modern compliment suits the relationship
Careful The slang can feel too casual in a formal profile or historical description.
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everyday
Fits when tidy, appropriate dress is enough for the praise
Careful Smart also means intelligent, and it does not always carry dapper's jaunty charm.
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everyday
Fits when current taste or a distinctive look matters most
Careful A dramatic fashionable outfit can be stylish without looking neat or restrained.
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professional
Fits when grooming and presentation feel fully finished
Careful Polished can describe practiced behavior and may sound corporate rather than personally stylish.
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professional
Fits when cleanliness and careful grooming are the evidence
Careful Good grooming alone does not establish the flair implied by dapper.
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literary
Fits when charm and social ease accompany the clothes
Careful Debonair makes a claim about manner as well as appearance, which a photograph may not support.
Opposites 3
- scruffy
- unkempt
- slovenly
Common phrases 3
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dapper suit
His dapper suit brought a cheerful note to the winter ceremony.
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dapper gentleman
A dapper gentleman welcomed visitors at the museum door.
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look dapper
The choir members look dapper in their new navy jackets.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated