foppish

American  

[fop-ish] / ˈfɒp ɪʃ /

adjective

1. resembling or befitting a fop; excessively refined and fastidious in taste and manner.

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Other Word Forms

• foppishly adverb
• foppishness noun

Etymology

Origin of foppish

First recorded in 1595–1605; fop + -ish ¹

Explanation

A man who is constantly checking out his outfit in the mirror might be foppish, or someone who loves dressing up in fancy clothes. For some reason, foppish is almost always used to describe men (not women), and that's why the word might make you think of an elegant suit, vest, and tie, and probably some over-the-top details like a flower in a buttonhole and a polka-dotted handkerchief. The word foppish also implies that this guy probably thinks he looks pretty good.

Example Sentences

As a boy, I must have intuited that what was foppish about Lynde, Reilly and Taylor coursed through me, too, even without the words to explain why.

From New York Times • Jun. 19, 2024

Freeman makes the most of the Lion’s scene-stealing silliness, reveling in the skittish big cat’s foppish hamminess.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2024

Voisin, who has the mother-of-pearl skin that Balzac writes about, is perfectly cast as the naïve young poet who generates pity when he is foppish and humiliated at the theater.

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2022

They’ve also made a celebrity of his foppish head of hair, a cross between a traditional mullet and ’80’s hair band singer.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 23, 2022

Men began to wear their handkerchiefs in their sleeves and some foppish lieutenants carried swagger sticks.

From "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck