snazzy

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈsnæzi/^[1]

Etymology

It is of unknown or uncertain origin,^[2][3][4][5] perhaps a blend of snappy and jazzy.^[3][6]

Earliest recorded meaning

Stylish or flashy, in American colloquial use (by 1929 in Etymonline,^[6] 1932 in Barnhart, the OED and Merriam-Webster).^[3][7][4]

Semantic evolution

Etymonline notes that early uses were often in college publications.^[6] The word has kept the sense of stylish or flashily attractive.^[2][4][5][1]

Timeline

• 1929 – stylish, per Etymonline.^[6]
• 1932 – stylish, classy.^[7][3][4]

Modern meaning

Adjective

1. Stylish and attractive in a flashy way; fancy.

Word family

• snazziness

Related words

• snappy
• jazzy

References

1. ^ a b Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
5. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
6. ^ a b c d Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
7. ^ a b Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press