peachy

American  

[pee-chee] / ˈpi tʃi /

adjective

peachier, peachiest

1. resembling a peach, as in color or appearance.

2. Informal. excellent; wonderful; fine.

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peachy British  

/ ˈpiːtʃɪ /

adjective

1. of or like a peach, esp in colour or texture

2. informal excellent; fine

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Usage

What does peachy mean? Peachy is an informal and playful way of saying excellent or wonderful. The term peachy-keen can be used to mean the same thing. Peachy can also be used in a literal way to mean resembling a peach in flavor, texture, appearance, or color (a kind of light pinkish orange). Perhaps because it sounds overly optimistic or cheerful when used as a slang term, peachy is often used in a sarcastic way, as in Yeah, my meeting ran late and I got a flat tire, but sure, my day was peachy. Example: Try our new peach pie—it’s just peachy!

Other Word Forms

• peachily adverb
• peachiness noun

Etymology

Origin of peachy

First recorded in 1590–1600; peach ¹ + -y ¹

Explanation

When things are peachy, they're wonderful. If you're unhappy, it's usually best to be honest about it, rather than pretending everything's peachy. Peachy is an informal adjective that's mostly used by North Americans. You might hear a sports fan talking about how peachy things look for their favorite team, or a neighbor describing an absolutely peachy day at the beach. Every once in a while, you might even hear the term peachy-keen used this same way. It's even more common today to use peachy in a sarcastic or ironic way.

Example Sentences

As the visitors gathered at the island’s presidential palace, Yamei, the journalist, was surprised that its entrance was painted peachy pink.

From New York Times • Jan. 19, 2024

"They're a sort of velvety, browny, peachy, reddy colour, but then on the bottom of the tail they have a bright yellow strip, then up the sides of the wings are yellow flashes."

From BBC • Jan. 11, 2024

Only the second-year coach sounded about as far from peachy as one could get.

From Washington Times • Aug. 21, 2023

I had to ask the line producer what peachy keen meant.”

From Seattle Times • Dec. 12, 2022

"And they were so peachy just a few days ago."

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda