style

1 of 3

noun

ˈstī(-ə)l

Synonyms of style next

: a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed

a unique style of horseback riding

the classical style of dance

: a distinctive manner of expression (as in writing or speech)

writes with more attention to style than to content

the flowery style of 18th century prose

: a distinctive manner or custom of behaving or conducting oneself

the formal style of the court

his style is abrasive

also : a particular mode of living

in high style

: a distinctive quality, form, or type of something

a new dress style

the Greek style of architecture

: the state of being popular : fashion

clothes that are always in style

: fashionable elegance

: beauty, grace, or ease of manner or technique

an awkward moment she handled with style

: a convention with respect to spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and typographic arrangement and display followed in writing or printing

: stylus

: gnomon sense 1b

: the filiform usually elongated part of the pistil bearing a stigma at its apex see flower illustration

: a slender elongated process (such as a bristle) on an animal

: designation, title

styleless

ˈstī(-ə)l-ləs

adjective

stylelessness noun

style

2 of 3

verb

styled; styling; styles

transitive verb

: to give a particular style to: such as

: to give a particular shape to (hair)

She cuts and styles her own hair.

His hair was styled in thick spikes pointing skyward and he was wearing a leather jacket and jeans. "I looked like a punk rocker," he admits.—

Leigh Anne Williams

: to design and make (something, such as clothing) in a particular style or for a particular purpose

Our 30"-long skirt is flatteringly styled with front pleats and a plain back.—

Land's End catalog

Kids on … BMX bikes styled like motorcycles …—

Margaret Loeb

The coats, even those presumably styled for hunting, are woefully too short …—

Donald Atwell Zoll

: to wear (something, such as an article of clothing) as part of a particular fashion look (see look entry 2 sense 2c)

… these loafers … can easily be styled with jeans, khakis, or shorts alike, depending on the season.—

Ali Smith

Earlier this month, Hailey Bieber also headed to Vegas in a lime green trucker hat, styling it with a white tank and classic jeans.—

Christian Allaire

also : to select and arrange the clothing, hair, makeup, etc. of (someone) to create a particular fashion look

[Kylie] Jenner is styled in a dress by Anthony Vaccarello from Saint Laurent's 2020 fall collection. —

Danielle Drake-Flam

: to decorate (something, such as a room) in a particular way

… a … boutique hotel where each room is styled after a different country or region.—

Jenny White

: to call or designate by an identifying term : name

Jay King styles himself as the Indiana Jones of turquoise, telling tales of far-flung mines as he peddles chunky jewelry.—

Belinda Luscombe

… she styles herself as an entrepreneur looking to establish a "members-only club" on the model of Soho House.—

Sadie Stein

adjective combining form or adverb combining form

: being in the style of

a Beaujolais-style wine

Choose the Right Synonym for style

fashion, style, mode, vogue, fad, rage, craze mean the usage accepted by those who want to be up-to-date.

fashion is the most general term and applies to any way of dressing, behaving, writing, or performing that is favored at any one time or place.

the current fashion

style often implies a distinctive fashion adopted by people of taste.

a media baron used to traveling in style

mode suggests the fashion of the moment among those anxious to appear elegant and sophisticated.

slim bodies are the mode at this resort

vogue stresses the wide acceptance of a fashion.

short skirts are back in vogue

fad suggests caprice in taking up or in dropping a fashion.

last year's fad is over

rage and craze stress intense enthusiasm in adopting a fad.

Cajun food was the rage nearly everywhere for a time

crossword puzzles once seemed just a passing craze but have lasted

Example Sentences

Noun I don't like the flowery style of his writing. She has a unique style of singing. a baseball pitcher with an unusual style She writes with more attention to style than to content. The room was decorated in modern style. The car is available in several different styles. the Greek style of architecture The range of clothing styles has become more varied. His management style is abrasive. Verb She cuts and styles hair. She's having her hair styled tomorrow. a book styled for a general audience See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Plus, Holmes isn't the only celeb embracing this pant style. —

Alyssa Grabinski, Peoplemag, 13 Jan. 2023 Not widely available: Though this style of loan was established years ago, there’s still only a handful of platforms offering them. —

Mia Taylor, Fortune, 11 Jan. 2023 This style of misinformation then exploits how users often scroll past the video with the sound off, never realizing that the caption doesn’t match what the video shows. —

Nate Trela, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2023 This cut-out style will sit comfortably on your chest without digging or pinching. —

Halie Lesavage, Harper's BAZAAR, 10 Jan. 2023 Dakota Johnson has been spotted in Aspen wearing this exact style by Sorel. —

Natalie Alcala, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Jan. 2023 At the time of the ship’s construction, northern European shipbuilders were transitioning to this style. —

Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Jan. 2023 With rave reviews online for its support, our tests confirmed this maternity style lives up to the hype. —

Lexie Sachs, Good Housekeeping, 9 Jan. 2023 Chronic, though, makes a compelling case for this style. —

San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Jan. 2023

Verb

Baby Tress’s styler features a comb, boar bristle brush, and pointed tip to style fine hairs with ease. —

Kiana Murden, Vogue, 9 Jan. 2023 Your go-to pair of everyday earrings should be comfortable, lightweight, and easy to style. —

Michelle Rostamian, Allure, 27 Oct. 2022 Sweater vests are having a moment, and this boxy wool vest is so easy to style. —

Corinne Sullivan, Woman's Day, 24 Oct. 2022 There are four open shelves to style with books and decor or use for office storage. —

Ellen Mcalpine, Good Housekeeping, 22 Dec. 2022 Your hair will become manageable and easier to style, speeding up your hair care routine in the mornings. —

Grooming Playbook, The Salt Lake Tribune, 19 Dec. 2022 Wooden coffee tables are a classic choice for any home because of their durable design and natural finish that’s easy to style. —

Andrea Wurzburger, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Dec. 2022 This long sleeve polo from Puma is warm, soft, and super easy to style. —

Brad Lanphear, Men's Health, 7 Dec. 2022 With the ‘Do You’ campaign, SheaMoisture wants to highlight different ways to style and embrace Black hair, unique to every individual. —

Ashley Mcdonough, Essence, 6 Dec. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'style.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.