swanky
Americanadjective
adjective
-
expensive and showy; stylish
a swanky hotel
-
boastful or conceited
Usage
What does swanky mean? Swanky means fancy, stylish, or classy, especially in a showy or expensive way. It is often used informally.Swanky can refer to something that is ostentatious (over the top) or something that is very elegant. Either way, the unifying element is fanciness.Example: Anna doesn’t usually get a chance to eat at fancy restaurants, so she really enjoyed the gourmet food at the swanky office party.
Other Word Forms
- swankily adverb
- swankiness noun
Etymology
Origin of swanky
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The pay-by-the-kilo buffet would rival the Sunday brunch at any swanky U.S. hotel.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 25, 2026
Afterward, the entrepreneur mingled with guests—honorees included Sylvester Stallone and George Strait—inside the SyberJet Lounge, a swanky space that his company had spent millions to sponsor and that President Trump had called “gorgeous.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
Irsay, a larger-than-life billionaire who inherited the Colts from his father Robert and oversaw the franchise for decades, was found dead in the swanky Beverly Hills Hotel last May.
From Barron's • Jan. 23, 2026
“Ten years ago, this would maybe have been a dream, what’s happening now,” she says, gesturing at her swanky surroundings.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2026
When George Dasch woke up in the swanky Mayflower Hotel in Washington, DC, he tried not to worry.
From Nazi Saboteurs by Samantha Seiple
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
