spiffy

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spiffy¹

  • /ˈspɪfi/

Rhymes with -ɪfi

Where it comes from

Unknown. Attested in print from 1852 (see quotations below). Compare the noun spiff, attested from 1859, as well as spiffing (1872) and spiffed (1881), suggesting participle forms of a related verb. Compare also spiv (“a smartly-dressed criminal”), attested from the 20th century.

adjective spiffier · spiffiest

  1. informal Dapper; fine or neat, especially in style of clothing or other appearance. He was “great” (as he expressed it) with the Bloomer who kept the bar where their club was held, and whom he styled “a spiffy girl,” and who had been graciously pleased to accept of a pair of very Brummagem-looking earrings, set with paste diamonds, with which he had presented her.

    Similar: snazzy, spiffing, spivvy

noun spiffies

  1. informal A dapper person.

Spiffy²

noun Spiffies

  1. A spring-wire collar stay, worn by men. The only neat thing about him was his collar. It was held down by a Spiffy wire stay.

Translations

Every language

adj dapper, fine or neat

Españolapuesto, pulcro
日本語お洒落 oshare
Deutschschick
Русскийнарядный narjadnyj, щеголеватый ščegolevatyj, моднявый modnjavyj

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MLA

"spiffy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/spiffy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

spiffy. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/spiffy

Chicago

"spiffy." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/spiffy.

BibTeX
@misc{spiffy_2026,
  title = {spiffy},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/spiffy},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}