Swanky
What it means
Fashionably luxurious and designed to impress.
Reach for it when offering cheeky informal praise for conspicuous polish or comfort
The old warehouse became a swanky cinema without losing its brick walls.
Words to choose between 6
| playful |
|
|---|---|
| everyday | |
| warm | |
| professional | |
| literary |
-
playful
Fits when British informality about class-coded elegance fits
Careful Posh can mock status and is strongly regional.
-
everyday
Fits when rich soft comfort and fittings are tangible
Careful Plush is sensory and narrower than fashionable swankiness.
-
warm
Fits when beauty, excitement, and social allure lead the impression
Careful Glamour can exist in an inexpensive setting.
-
warm
Fits when comfort, materials, and expense create the quality
Careful Luxury can be discreet, whereas swanky expects visible display.
-
professional
Fits when market position or price level is the relevant fact
Careful Upscale is commercial and says nothing about actual style.
-
literary
chichi
Fits when fashionable pretension is being teased
Careful Chichi is uncommon and often more critical than admiring.
Opposites 3
- shabby
- modest
- austere
Common phrases 3
-
swanky hotel
The swanky hotel also funds the public beach path.
-
swanky restaurant
A swanky restaurant opened inside the restored station.
-
look swanky
The lobby began to look swanky after the brass lights returned.
Usage notes
Keep in mind
Swanky is class-coded and can be admiring or mocking. It praises display, not value, ethics, or hospitality.
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