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foppish

foppish

1 9.9
A person who cares too much about their clothes and looks
  • adjective
  • /ˈfɑːpɪʃ/
  • Offensive
translation icon : afectado
  • The foppish gentleman spent hours perfecting his hairstyle before attending the gala.

Examples

  • Mr. Tobin was dressed in a foppish purple suit, a white silk shirt, and a tie that sported vines and grape clusters.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Puff smiles and performs a foppish bow, almost a curtsy.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Look at him, he's a foppish dandy.

  • The young foppish prince?

  • Enter after him, Tonio, a foppish and foul-mouthed courtier.

    Academic text (1995)
  • The foppish moderator is joined by a pair of critics, a militant lesbian and a highfalutin academic, to discuss the meaning of Vera's contribution to American culture.

    Blog text (9)
  • For NIAC, the eminent Iranian Americans are only those in Nordstrom suits and foppish outfits, priding themselves on luxury and banality.

    Blog text (21)
  • But there’s nothing so interesting as a toaster or a calico cat in this pretentious act of foppish vanity.

    Blog text (19)
  • I've always thought Leslie Howard's "Scarlet Pimpernel" was just a bit too foppish, even though Leslie Howard himself was a fine actor who apparently did not lack courage during WW2.

    Blog text (6)
  • He always wore colorful scarves and tailored jackets, making him look quite foppish at every event.

Synonyms

flamboyant
vsfoppish
35 6.5

Being very bright and showy to attract attention

is more about refined affected grooming rather than loud attention seeking
dandified
vsfoppish
  • Archaic
9.1

Dressed or acting in a showy, very fashionable way

is specifically about a man's excessive preoccupation with clothes
dandyish
vsfoppish
9.1

Very careful about clothes and manners in a showy way

is about a man's affected refinement and strong concern for appearance

Antonyms

194 2.8

Informal and relaxed, not serious

unrefined
  • Offensive
1 6.0

A person who lacks good manners or social skills

How Vain

ostentatious
11 7.7
foppish
  • Offensive
1 9.9
dapper
16 6.2
smart
127 2.4
neat
144 1.0
plain
50 2.5

Surface Forms

foppish positive

Morphology

foppish = fop (transparent) = fop + ish

The adjective is a straightforward adjectival formation from the noun 'fop' with '-ish' meaning 'like or characteristic of a fop'.

Etymology

Foppish comes from fop, an old word for a man who was 'vain' or 'foolish' about his looks. So, foppish means dressing or behaving in a showy, affected way, like being 'foolish' about fashion.