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dandy

noun
dan·​dy | \ ˈdan-dē How to pronounce dandy (audio) \
plural dandies

Definition of dandy

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a man who gives exaggerated attention to personal appearance
2 : something excellent in its class a dandy of a game

dandy

adjective
dandier; dandiest

Definition of dandy (Entry 2 of 2)

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

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Other Words from dandy

Noun

dandyish \ ˈdan-​dē-​ish How to pronounce dandyish (audio) \ adjective
dandyishly adverb

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
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Recent Examples on the Web: Noun But this year, Kansas State has a dandy of a running back in freshman Deuce Vaughn. — Brice Paterik, Dallas News, "5 things Texas Tech fans need to know about Kansas State, including a newly improved QB," 30 Sep. 2020 The champions and runners-up in the Western Conference from last year square off in what's sure to be a dandy of a match. — Briar Napier, The Arizona Republic, "What you need to know about Phoenix Rising FC's return to action," 12 July 2020 Last night, dappers and dandies gathered at—where else?—. Jazz and chatter filled the legendary shop as editors, models, and men-about-town toasted the opening of Bergdorf’s Bar. — Ian Malone, Vogue, "Dappers and Dandies Gathered to Celebrate the Opening of Bergdorf’s Bar," 31 Jan. 2020 Meanwhile, Ryan Colbert is the straw that stirs the mystery as a devious dandy in the first play before becoming a wide-eyed med-tech nerd in the second. — Rob Hubbard, Twin Cities, "Review: Park Square shows off Christie’s mastery of mystery in fun fashion," 20 July 2019 There are other solid dancing performances, too; Luca De-Poli and Joshua Stayton and the corps de ballet, who are called into service as everything from Munchkins and dancing bricks to dandies and Popcorn Girls who enliven the Emerald City streets. — Cincinnati.com, "Onstage tornadoes, flying monkeys, dancing poppies: 'Wizard of Oz' ballet is 'spectacular'," 26 Oct. 2019 The first large Baignoire was a model for men, for dandies. — Jill Newman, Town & Country, "Why Grand Duchess Vladimir, a Long-Gone Romanov, Continues to Inspire Cartier's Watch Designs," 1 Oct. 2019 Wu’s pink knit cardigan and matching T-shirt were a striking combination that stood out even among the season’s front row dandies. — Vogue, "Kris Wu Makes the Case for Granny Chic at Louis Vuitton," 20 June 2019 Men wore leopard print, too: The late-18th-century British macaroni dandies, as in Yankee Doodle, were fond of it. — Nancy Macdonell, WSJ, "Is Leopard Print Tacky or Classic? A Historical Debate," 18 Sep. 2018 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective Like his English contemporary Max Beerbohm, the French Max was also a dandy, one who sported a monocle, favored pink shirts and carried a walking stick. — Washington Post, "Who was Max Jacob? A poet, friend of Picasso and, a new biography shows, a man who defied easy labels," 21 Oct. 2020 The market value of your now-nine-year security would be only about $9,174, according to my handy-dandy online bond calculator. — Allan Sloan, ProPublica, "The Fed Saved the Economy but Is Threatening Trillions of Dollars Worth of Middle-Class Retirement," 21 Oct. 2020 There’s already a dandy all-star version of the tale of murder and betrayal on a cruise ship floating through Egypt. — Staff Reports Star Tribune, Star Tribune, "Take a master class from Seinfeld: Best things to watch, hear or read this week," 8 Oct. 2020 This is fine and dandy for a DNS zone, which is already properly set up and doesn't need changing... — Jim Salter, Ars Technica, "Understanding DNS—anatomy of a BIND zone file," 24 Aug. 2020 Then the patch of cover seemed to explode with running, snorting whitetails—including a couple dandy velvet bucks. — Greg Miller, Outdoor Life, "The 5 Best Ways to Scout a Mature Buck," 13 Aug. 2020 That’s all fine and dandy until the touchscreen breaks. — Roberto Baldwin, Car and Driver, "NHTSA Investigating Tesla Model S Touchscreen Unit Problems," 24 June 2020 The 4-mile round-trip hike through woods is mostly flat and takes you to several dandy overlooks. — Weldon B. Johnson, azcentral, "Visiting Grand Canyon North Rim: Complete guide to what's open, closed and delayed in 2020," 11 June 2020 The first game on the tournament slate is also a dandy. — Briar Napier, azcentral, "England's Premier League is back Wednesday as international soccer kicks it up a notch," 16 June 2020

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

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First Known Use of dandy

Noun

circa 1780, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1792, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for dandy

Noun and Adjective

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

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Time Traveler for dandy

Time Traveler

The first known use of dandy was circa 1780

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Statistics for dandy

Last Updated

9 Oct 2020

Cite this Entry

“Dandy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dandy. Accessed 12 Nov. 2020.

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More Definitions for dandy

dandy

noun
How to pronounce dandy (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of dandy

 (Entry 1 of 2)

old-fashioned : a man who cares too much about his clothing and personal appearance
chiefly US, informal : something that is very good or impressive : a very good example of something

dandy

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of dandy (Entry 2 of 2)

chiefly US, informal + somewhat old-fashioned : very good

dandy

noun
dan·​dy | \ ˈdan-dē How to pronounce dandy (audio) \
plural dandies

Kids Definition of dandy

 (Entry 1 of 2)

1 : a man who is extremely interested in his clothes and appearance
2 : something excellent or unusual

dandy

adjective
dandier; dandiest

Kids Definition of dandy (Entry 2 of 2)

: very good We had a dandy time.

More from Merriam-Webster on dandy

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dandy

Nglish: Translation of dandy for Spanish Speakers

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