as in pomp
excessive or unnecessary display
service that is the essence of swank: the waiters pull out your chair for you and even place your napkin on your lap
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
or swanky
as in loud
excessively showy
drove up in a red sports car, the swank interior of which was decorated in silver and black
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of swank
Essence, 14 Oct. 2025
Find it: Level one, Bloomingdale’s wing A swank yet still casual restaurant offering classic American fare with a focus on seasonal, local ingredients.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Every man goes through a chess phase; be prepared for his with a swanky marble set.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Mar. 2026
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
This Bible swanks a custom embossing of the inauguration date, and like other Bibles in the collection, it is written in the King James translation and includes historic American documents, like the text of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swank
Noun
To further set the scene for the night, we were welcomed into a swank, jazz club-esque venue called The Sun Rose Room located in Hollywood’s Sun Rose Hotel.
—Essence, 14 Oct. 2025
Find it: Level one, Bloomingdale’s wing A swank yet still casual restaurant offering classic American fare with a focus on seasonal, local ingredients.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
Instead of a swanky resort in Hawaii, Scilly or Thailand, the new Irish series, which screened at international TV festival Series Mania this week, opens on a trashed rent-a-villa, somewhere on Tenerife.
—Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 24 Mar. 2026
Every man goes through a chess phase; be prepared for his with a swanky marble set.
—Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 23 Mar. 2026
Verb
What the Voice of the People is saying is: ‘Look at that frightful ass Spode swanking about in footer bags.
—Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 18 Apr. 2025
This Bible swanks a custom embossing of the inauguration date, and like other Bibles in the collection, it is written in the King James translation and includes historic American documents, like the text of the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution.
—Natalie Demaree, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for swank
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swank
Noun
-
Leo's events in Monaco were marked by all the usual protocol and pomp of a papal tour abroad.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Francis’ choice was in keeping with his simple taste and disdain for the pomp of the papacy.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Sometimes the world is just too busy and loud!—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Like tens of thousands across the country, Steve Kerr is a loud and proud supporter of his alma mater during March Madness.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lindell bragged of spending millions to combat election fraud.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Dick’s friend was bragging about his kid’s academic prowess.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Shoppers can also find mini refrigerators and even Christmas decorations.—
Madeleine Wright,
CBS News,
26 Mar. 2026
-
If fragrance wants to retain both cultural and commercial strength in the decades ahead, legacy must be treated not as decoration, but as infrastructure.—
Sudhir Gupta,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The experience of Gando will also enrich a timber day-care center now going up on a noisy street in Munich.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Greg Bovino, Border Patrol’s former commander at large, with the big coat that definitely does not give off a Nazi vibe, got one of the noisiest, rock-star receptions at CPAC when he was brought on stage by podcaster Benny Johnson.—
Rob Crilly,
The Washington Examiner,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
And in the nation’s third-largest city, home to one of the most rambunctious celebrations of the holiday, young partygoers were eager to swagger between bars and parties with the drinks, usually dyed kelly green.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Don the swaggering employee needs to learn a lesson about gender identity.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
15 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But nothing is more important than remembering there’s life outside the spectacle.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
-
His five green jackets, including the iconic 2019 comeback, helped transform the tournament into a global spectacle.—
Rowan Fisher-Shotton,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
As for the ornate headwear, seersucker suits, and profusion of pastels that usually accompany this horse race, well, that’s your call.—
Devra Ferst,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Instead, think of the hyper-realistic ornate floral rugs your mom might’ve had sometime in the '90s or early 2000s.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
3 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swank.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swank. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
