sashay

1 of 2

verb

sa·​shay sa-ˈshā 

 also  sī-

sashayed; sashaying; sashays

intransitive verb

1

a

: to strut or move about in an ostentatious or conspicuous manner

The model sashayed down the runway.

Rinna is sashaying down a street in one of Sutton's designer gowns for some reason!

—Jodi Walker

Her friends had long whispered to her about Lute's sleek good looks, and the way he sashayed about the island as if he owned it.

—Dorothy West

b

: walk, glide, go

Fans should enjoy Mexico goalie Jorge Campos, with his pink-and-lime-green outfits and the way he sashays upfield, far from his goal, when the spirit moves him.

—The New York Times

With his cowboy wisdom and irreverent wit, he sashayed into America's heart early this century and has remained there ever since.

—People Weekly

c

: to proceed or move in a diagonal or sideways manner

The hook dangling from the airplane's tail is supposed to clear the ramp by at least 10 feet; but the ramp itself, in heavy seas, may be rising and falling 15 feet and sashaying side to side in a figure-eight as well.

—Peter Garrison

2

: to make a chassé

sashay

2 of 2

noun

1

: trip, excursion

2

: a square-dance figure in which partners sidestep in a circle around each other with the man moving behind the woman

3

: chassé

Did you know?

Sashay slid into English as an alteration of the French borrowing chassé, which refers to a dance step in which a slide on one foot is followed closely by a slide on the other foot. (It comes from the French verb chasser, meaning "to chase.") Authors such as Mark Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, and John Updike have all put their names on the word’s proverbial dance card, enjoying the liveliness sashay adds to prose. More recently, it has been strutting its stuff as a refrain on RuPaul’s Drag Race since 2009: a queen does not skulk when voted out of the race, but proudly sashays offstage. From classic literature to the runway, sashay continues to dance its way through English with attitude. Now, sashay away.

Synonyms

Verb

• prance
• stalk
• strut
• swagger

Noun

• excursion
• jaunt
• junket
• outing
• ramble
• sally
• sortie
• spin

Examples of sashay in a Sentence

Verb

The model sashayed down the runway.

She sashayed into the room.

Noun

just a little weekend sashay we took to get away from it all

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

Entitled little dogs were sashaying down Santa Monica Boulevard. —Danielle Pergament, Allure, 21 Apr. 2025

However, after a show-stopping performance from both contestants, RuPaul decided that neither would be sashaying away this week. —Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 Mar. 2025

Noun

As Samuel sashays toward the camera, the Old English KES text on his upper right arm and a gigantic open-mouthed snake on his left come into frame. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2025

But in the milliseconds after Portugal and Barcelona forward Kika Nazareth picks up the ball in England’s half and sashays forward, Clinton is on the back foot. —Megan Feringa, The Athletic, 22 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

alteration of chassé

First Known Use

Verb

1836, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for sashay

• cachet

Podcast

Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!