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César Ritz (1850-1918) earned worldwide renown for the luxurious hotels bearing his name in London and Paris. (The Ritz-Carlton hotel company is a contemporary descendant of these enterprises.) Although they were by no means the first to cater to high-end clients, Ritz’s hotels quickly earned reputations as symbols of opulence. F. Scott Fitzgerald, a writer who often focused on the fashionably wealthy, titled one of his short stories “The Diamond as Big as the Ritz,” and the phrase “to put on the ritz” means “to indulge in ostentatious display.” The adjective ritzy, describing either something fancy or stylish, or the haughty attitudes of the wealthy elite, first checked into the English language in 1919.
Examples of ritzy in a Sentence
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Forbes.com, 14 May 2025
Each year, the festival presents itself as a sanctuary, a ritzy oasis, a cinematic shelter from the storm.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 13 May 2025
Located in Maui’s ritzy Kapalua Resort, the home sits between a jungle ravine and the 17th tee of the Kapalua Plantation Course, where the PGA Tour’s Sentry Tournament of Champions takes place.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 13 May 2025
Alongside the Formula 1 Paddock, the weekend was a ritzy VIP affair with David Yurman’s new store opening, a private Brunello Cucinelli dinner, Carbone Beach and more.
—Kanika Talwar, Footwear News, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for ritzy
Cite this Entry
“Ritzy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ritzy. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
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