dandy

1 of 2

noun

dan·​dy ˈdan-dē 

plural dandies

1

: a man who gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance

2

: something excellent in its class

a dandy of a game

dandyish

ˈdan-dē-ish 

adjective

dandyishly adverb

dandy

2 of 2

adjective

dandier; dandiest

1

: of, relating to, or suggestive of a man who gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance : foppish

2

: very good : first-rate

a dandy place to stay

I have a couple of friends … who think a recession is a dandy time to try to discover better and cheaper ways to do things.

—Thomas Friedman

Synonyms

Noun

• beau
• Beau Brummell
• buck
• dude
• fop
• gallant
• jay
• lounge lizard
• macaroni
• pretty boy

Adjective

• A-OK
• A1
• awesome
• bang-up
• banner
• beautiful
• blue-chip
• blue-ribbon
• boffo
• bonny [chiefly British]
• bonnie
• boss [slang]
• brag
• brave
• bully
• bumper
• capital
• choice
• classic
• cool [slang]
• corking
• crackerjack
• cracking
• divine
• dope [slang]
• down [slang]
• dynamite
• excellent
• fab
• fabulous
• famous
• fantabulous [slang]
• fantastic
• fine
• first-class
• first-rate
• first-string
• five-star
• four-star
• frontline
• gangbusters
• gangbuster
• gilt-edged
• gilt-edge
• gone [slang]
• grand
• great
• groovy
• heavenly
• high-class
• hot
• hype [slang]
• immense
• jim-dandy
• keen
• lovely
• marvelous
• marvellous
• mean
• neat
• nifty
• noble
• number one
• No. 1
• numero uno
• out-of-sight [slang]
• par excellence
• peachy
• peachy keen
• phat [slang]
• prime
• primo [slang]
• prize
• prizewinning
• quality
• radical [slang]
• righteous [slang]
• sensational
• slick
• splendid
• stellar
• sterling
• superb
• superior
• superlative
• supernal
• swell
• terrific
• tip-top
• top
• top-notch
• top-of-the-line
• top-shelf
• topflight
• topping [chiefly British]
• unsurpassed
• wizard [chiefly British]
• wonderful

Examples of dandy in a Sentence

Noun

That was a dandy of a game.

that dandy was willing to spend all day and hundreds of dollars just to get the perfect pair of shoes

Adjective

We thought something was wrong, but he said everything was just fine and dandy.

that's a dandy new racing bike

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

This project honors the exhibition’s core themes of menswear, identity, history, and the diverse expressions of the Black dandy in fashion. —Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025

The original dandy—most famously embodied by figures like Beau Brummell in 18th-century Britain—was a man whose primary purpose was to stand out by being impeccably groomed and dressed. —Ty Gaskins, Vogue, 29 Apr. 2025

Adjective

Since the Sportatorium closed, the National Guard considered using it as a training site, and the Broward Sheriff’s Office suggested the cavernous hall would make a dandy jail. —Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2025

The Sea Spirits Distillery in Kula (dandy rum cocktails!), the Kanahā Pond Wildlife Sanctuary in Kahului (the stilts!), the swimmable beaches in Kihei, seeing whale tails and spouts many times … yes. —Tom Bentley, The Mercury News, 3 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Adjective

probably short for jack-a-dandy, from jack entry 1 + a (of) + dandy (origin unknown)

First Known Use

Noun

circa 1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing dandy

• fine and dandy
• handy dandy
• jim-dandy

Rhymes for dandy

• bandy
• brandy
• candy
• grandee
• randy
• shandy

Kids Definition

dandy

1 of 2 noun

dan·​dy ˈdan-dē 

plural dandies

1

: a man who is too interested in his clothing and personal appearance

2

: a very good example of something

dandyish

-dē-ish 

adjective

dandy

2 of 2 adjective

dandier; dandiest

: very good : splendid, excellent