dapper

adjective

dap·​per ˈda-pər 

1

a

: neat and trim in appearance

looked very dapper in their uniforms

b

: very spruce and stylish

a dapper new suit

2

: alert and lively in movement and manners

a dapper old gentleman

dapperly adverb

dapperness noun

Synonyms

• natty
• sharp
• smart
• snappy
• spruce

Examples of dapper in a Sentence

The students all looked very dapper in their uniforms.

the dapper gentleman drew admiring glances from all over the ballroom

Recent Examples on the Web

This night, one of his guests is an elderly, dapper gentleman named Plennie Wingo. —Scott Ostler, SFChronicle.com, 3 May 2020

Actor and choreographer Darnell Pierre Benjamin is one of those people who manages to look dapper even when he is dressed down. —David Lyman, Cincinnati.com, 7 May 2020

Lined with fuzzy lamb's wool and featuring a non-skid rubber sole, these are the ultimate house slipper for the dapper dude in your life. —Anna Heyman, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2019

Clearly a fashion fan himself, Hawke has accompanied his mother to Prada shows in New York sporting very dapper bespoke tailoring by the Italian house. —Liam Hess, Vogue, 20 Jan. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dapyr, from Middle Dutch dapper quick, strong; akin to Old High German tapfar heavy, Old Church Slavic debelŭ thick

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

dapper

adjective

dap·​per ˈdap-ər 

1

: being neat and trim in dress or appearance : spruce

2

: being alert and lively in movement and manners