chic

1 of 2

noun

ˈshēk 

1

: smart elegance and sophistication especially of dress or manner : style

wears her clothes with superb chic

2

: a distinctive mode of dress or manner associated with a fashionable lifestyle, ideology, or pursuit

wearing the latest in urban chic

New Age chic

3

: a faddishly popular quality or appeal

also : something (such as a practice or interest) having such appeal

… the transient tides of academic chic.

—Irving Kristol

chic

2 of 2

adjective

chicer; chicest

1

: cleverly stylish : smart

The woman who is chic adapts fashion to her own personality.

—Elizabeth L. Post

2

: currently fashionable

a chic restaurant

chic boutiques

chicly adverb

chicness noun

Synonyms of chic

Noun

• trend
• latest
• vogue
• craze
• style
• rage
• fashion
• enthusiasm

Adjective

• stylish
• fashionable
• happening

Examples of chic in a Sentence

Noun

It's the height of chic this year.

mockumentaries are the latest filmmaking chic

Adjective

The café has a chic new look.

a chic new hairstyle that makes her look very sophisticated

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

For the event, Eilish rocked a private school chic-look with a navy blazer and skirt, grey sweater and brown Oxford shoes with tall grey socks. —Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 30 Oct. 2025

At Loewe, Jack Hernandez and Lazaro McCollough zeroed-in on surfer chic/k cool. —Laia Garcia-Furtado, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2025

Adjective

There’s a new crop of chic, modern calendars that cater to almost every interest under the sun (not to mention an older age range). —Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 6 Nov. 2025

Indie sleaze, the hallucination of a 2000s seedy-chic genre that never fully existed, is in vogue. —Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

French

Adjective

probably from attributive use of chic entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1851, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1865, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing chic

• radical chic

Rhymes for chic

• beak
• beek
• bleak
• cheek
• clique
• creak
• creek
• eke
• freak
• geek
• greek
• leak

Kids Definition

chic

1 of 2 noun

ˈshēk 

: fashionable style

chic

2 of 2 adjective

chicer; chicest

: stylish, smart

chic clothes