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Natty

adj. joyful, energetic playful

What it means

Neat, stylish, and smart in appearance.

Reach for it when praising a person's crisply stylish appearance with a light, slightly old-fashioned tone

He wore a natty blue jacket to the celebration.

Words to choose between 8

By register, from playful at the top to literary at the bottom. Tap a word to see when it fits.
playful
everyday
warm
professional
formal
literary

  • playful

    snappy

    Fits when an outfit has bright, confident visual impact

    Careful Snappy can sound casual or dated and may overstate the outfit's boldness.

  • everyday

    smart

    Fits when neat, well-chosen clothing deserves straightforward praise

    Careful Smart is ambiguous across intelligence and appearance without enough context.

  • everyday

    stylish

    Fits when current taste matters more than meticulous neatness

    Careful Stylish can describe dramatic or relaxed fashion that is not natty at all.

  • warm

    chic

    Fits when fashionable sophistication matters more than tidy precision

    Careful Chic suggests cosmopolitan fashion and may be too grand for modest neatness.

  • warm

    dapper

    Fits when polished menswear or a trim personal appearance is central

    Careful Dapper carries a stronger masculine and old-fashioned association than natty.

  • professional

    well-dressed

    Fits when clear, neutral praise is safer than playful flair

    Careful The phrase does not convey natty's compact, spirited elegance.

  • formal

    immaculate

    Fits when flawless grooming and cleanliness are the main point

    Careful Immaculate can feel severe and does not require style or charm.

  • literary

    spruce

    Fits when someone looks freshly neat and carefully turned out

    Careful Spruce sounds dated and says less about distinctive fashion sense.

Opposites 3

  • shabby
  • slovenly
  • unkempt

Common phrases 3

  • natty suit

    His natty suit brought a cheerful note to the afternoon ceremony.

  • natty dresser

    The natty dresser paired a vintage tie with spotless white trainers.

  • look natty

    A pressed shirt made the whole ensemble look natty without feeling formal.

Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Commander Keane, Australian accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated