smartish outfit
- noun
:
atuendo elegante
- She chose a smartish outfit for the dinner party, balancing comfort and style.
Examples
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You don't need a suit, just wear a smartish outfit to the event.
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She wore a smartish outfit to the casual meeting.
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A jacket and neat trousers made his smartish outfit perfect for the occasion.
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Mark decided to wear a smartish outfit for the dinner.
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For the outdoor wedding, he opted for a smartish outfit, which included tailored trousers and a stylish blazer.
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Feeling relaxed yet polished, she selected a smartish outfit that was perfect for brunch with friends.
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He didn't want to be overdressed, so he went with a smartish outfit for the get-together.
Antonyms
How Smart
Surface Forms
Morphology
smartish + outfit
The meaning 'somewhat stylish or slightly formal' is directly and compositionally derived from 'smart' plus the approximative suffix '-ish' combined with 'outfit' (a clothing ensemble). The suffix '-ish' is a productive and commonly understood modifier meaning 'somewhat' or 'approximately', so a B1 learner who knows 'smart' and basic suffix patterns will readily infer the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
Smartish outfit comes from smart meaning neat or dressy, the little ending -ish meaning 'a bit', and outfit meaning clothes. Imagine someone wearing a nice jacket with jeans, not a suit, and that image shows why it means 'somewhat stylish but not fully formal'.