✨ Lively or stylish 😜 Naughty or cheeky

spanky

1 8.1

Looking bright and stylish and making people feel lively and cheerful

adjective
/ˈspæŋki/

Informal

: elegante

She wore a spanky dress to the party that made her stand out from the crowd.

Examples

The new coffee shop has a spanky design that attracts many visitors.
Very cute little spanky pants that go underneath also.
Squid honks at me from his spanky little mail truck, startling me.

Fiction book (1992)
He showed off his spanky sneakers, which everyone admired for their vibrant colors.

Synonyms

perky

vsspanky

46 4.1

Cheerful and full of energy

puts more weight on being stylish or smart in manner

saucy

vsspanky

Informal

22 5.8

Being playful and a little rude in a way that teases people

shifts that boldness into a more stylish, smart presentation

swanky

vsspanky

Informal

19 7.4

Very stylish and expensive-looking, like a fancy car or hotel

is more casual and cheerfully stylish rather than purely elegant

snazzy

vsspanky

Informal

17 7.2

Bright and stylish in a way that draws attention

combines flashy look with a cheerful, lively manner

spunky

vsspanky

Informal

17 4.6

Brave and full of energy and determination

emphasizes stylish, cheerful appearance more than courage or grit

glitzy

vsspanky

11 4.8

A bright, showy look that tries to impress people

softens showiness with a genuinely cheerful and lively manner

bonny

vsspanky

10 7.0

Looking attractive and lively in a healthy way

adds a more marked stylish or fashionable manner to the look

sparkly

vsspanky

5 3.7

Full of lively energy and cheer

leans more toward a stylish or fashionable outward manner

chirpy

vsspanky

Informal

4 3.1

Feeling happy and full of energy

includes a stylish appearance or manner as well as cheerfulness

twinkly

vsspanky

4 4.4

Showing bright, friendly eyes or a warm smile

extends that brightness into a fashionable or stylish overall look

corky

vsspanky

4 7.0

Lively and slightly odd in a way that makes people smile

leans that charm into a more polished fashionable appearance

sparky

vsspanky

Informal

3 4.1

Full of energy and enthusiasm that excites others

adds a clear fashionable or stylish look to that energy

jazzy

vsspanky

2 6.3

Bright and showy in style to attract attention

balances that showiness with cheerful, lively manner

kicky

vsspanky

Informal

2 7.4

Lively and exciting in a bold, stylish way

keeps boldness but stresses a smart, fashionable presentation

hotsy-totsy

vsspanky

Archaic

1 9.9

Having a fashionable, attractive look, like new clothes or a neat room

brings a playful cheerful energy into that fashionable quality

chippy

vsspanky

1 7.7

Being lively and cheerful, often a little cheeky

moves that cheeky liveliness toward a smarter, stylish look

chappy

vsspanky

1 8.1

Happy and full of energy

adds an element of stylish or smart appearance to the cheer

swaggy

vsspanky

Slang

1 8.9

Looks stylish and confident in a cool way

leans more toward cheerful, playful stylishness rather than coolness

dashy

vsspanky

Informal

1 9.2

Attractive and stylish in a bold, showy way

adds a slightly more playful cheer to the flashy style

blithesome

vsspanky

Archaic

1 9.9

Happy and not worried about things

combines that light cheer with a smart, stylish presentation

zooty

vsspanky

Archaic

1 9.9

Looks very fashionable and showy, often wearing bright clothes

adds a lively, cheerful tone to that flashy presentation

frolicky

vsspanky

8.2

Playful and lively in a happy, energetic way

keeps playfulness but also highlights fashionable appearance

pippy

vsspanky

Informal

8.1

Being full of energy and cheerful

combines that spirited energy with a stylish outward manner

kippy

vsspanky

9.9

Having bright, stylish clothes or decorations that look showy for parties

adds a brighter cheerful manner to the fashionable presentation

Antonyms

drab

21 4.2

Not bright or colorful and not lively

How Lively

vivacious

15 7.0

lively

109 1.3

spanky

Informal

1 8.1

perky

46 4.1

cheerful

99 1.0

Surface Forms

spanky positive

Morphology

spanky = spank (opaque) = spank + y

Although it ends in '-y' and contains 'spank', the meaning 'lively, cheerful, or stylish' is not a regular or easily recoverable extension of the base.

Etymology

Spanky is also linked to spanking as in spanking new, where 'spanking' means 'very new' or very fresh. A helpful way to remember this sense is to think of something 'spanky' as bright, lively, or smart-looking, like a freshly cleaned, shining car.