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Modish

adj.joyful, energeticliterary

What it means

Stylishly aligned with the current fashion.

Reach for it when describing a deliberately fashionable look when trend-consciousness is part of the praise

The café's modish interior pairs curved lamps with restored oak tables.

Choose between these

7
  • playful

    chic

    concise praise suits sophisticated fashionable elegance

    not when Chic carries a French-inflected social tone and can sound exclusionary.

  • everyday

    trendy

    strong alignment with a current trend is explicit

    not when Trendy may imply short life or superficial imitation.

  • warm

    smart

    neat, fashionable appearance is praised in British usage

    not when Smart has many ability and technology senses and may confuse readers.

  • warm

    stylish

    good visual judgment matters more than trend

    not when Stylish can remain timeless and need not be modish.

  • professional

    contemporary

    the design belongs recognizably to the present

    not when Contemporary is temporal and may describe unfashionable work.

  • professional

    fashionable

    current taste or social approval defines the style

    not when Fashionable establishes popularity, not necessarily individual elegance.

  • formal

    voguish

    fashion criticism needs a close elevated synonym

    not when Voguish is as uncommon as modish and offers little clarity to general readers.

Said against

4
  • unfashionable
  • dated
  • dowdy
  • frumpy

It naturally appears in

3
  • modish design

    The modish design still leaves every control easy to find.

  • modish restaurant

    A modish restaurant opened in the restored station hall.

  • decidedly modish

    Her recycled-paper lamps look decidedly modish rather than improvised.

Where this comes from

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.