dandyism

noun

dan·​dy·​ism ˈdan-dē-ˌi-zəm How to pronounce dandyism (audio)
1
: the style or conduct of a dandy
2
: a literary and artistic style of the latter part of the 19th century marked by artificiality and excessive refinement

Examples of dandyism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Or our beloved Andres–Leon Talley and 3000–men with style so painstakingly attended to and elaborately shown so as to remind us that dandyism ultimately lies in the hands of the man. Julian Randall, Essence, 16 Sep. 2024 The collected edition of Jünger’s interwar theorizing runs to nearly one thousand pages, and gives the impression less of an engaged political writer with a taste for dandyism than a dandy with a taste for politics. Thomas Meaney, Harper’s Magazine , 16 Feb. 2023 At his 1931 trial for tax evasion, federal prosecutors tried to weaponize his dandyism, trotting out his personal tailor who testified, in a not-so-subtle dig, that Capone’s favorite colors were green and canary. Amy Nicholson, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2022 One of the most striking trends in rock stardom these days is the return of male dandyism, spearheaded by Harry Styles. David Netto, Town & Country, 22 Feb. 2022 Chalamet was, by now, putting his own spin on modern dandyism with suits in magenta and pastel pink. CNN, 7 Sep. 2021 There was nothing racy beyond the dandyism of Whistler. Peter Schjeldahl, The New Yorker, 8 Feb. 2021 Another, equally striking portrait, by Giovanni Boldini, perfectly captures the count’s confident, posturing dandyism. Leo Damrosch, New York Times, 21 Feb. 2020 This period, the Regency era, was ground zero for British dandyism. Austin Grossman, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2019

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'dandyism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1819, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dandyism was in 1819

Dictionary Entries Near dandyism

Cite this Entry

“Dandyism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dandyism. Accessed 12 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!