dapper

adjective

dap·​per ˈda-pər 

1

a

: neat and trim in appearance

looked very dapper in their uniforms

b

: very spruce and stylish

a dapper new suit

2

: alert and lively in movement and manners

a dapper old gentleman

dapperly adverb

dapperness noun

Synonyms of dapper

• elegant
• smart
• stylish
• fashionable
• natty

Examples of dapper in a Sentence

The students all looked very dapper in their uniforms.

the dapper gentleman drew admiring glances from all over the ballroom

Recent Examples on the Web

Simonon, best known as the bassist for The Clash, looks dapper in a black suit worn with a white shirt and lace-up boots, flanked by his English toy terriers Snoop and Peanut. —Joelle Diderich, Footwear News, 13 Nov. 2025

Coyly smiling, mustachioed and looking very dapper at 38 feet tall, Vonnegut appears like an old friend upon Mass Ave passersby. —Domenica Bongiovanni, IndyStar, 12 Nov. 2025

George, meanwhile, looked sharp in a black suit and striped navy, white, and red tie—a look in keeping with his father’s own dapper style of suiting. —Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 9 Nov. 2025

The 50-year-old football icon — who wore a dapper custom suit designed by his wife, Victoria Beckham — admitted the moment left him speechless. —Stephanie Giang-Paunon, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English dapyr, from Middle Dutch dapper quick, strong; akin to Old High German tapfar heavy, Old Church Slavic debelŭ thick

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for dapper

• capper
• clapper
• flapper
• kapur
• mapper
• napper
• rapper
• sapper
• snapper
• tapper
• trapper
• wrapper

Kids Definition

dapper

adjective

dap·​per ˈdap-ər 

1

: being neat and trim in dress or appearance : spruce

2

: being alert and lively in movement and manners