swank
pronunciation
How to pronounce swank in British English:
UK [swæŋk]
How to pronounce swank in American English:
US [swæŋk]
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- Noun:
- elegance by virtue of being fashionable
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- Verb:
- display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously
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- Adjective:
- imposingly fashionable and elegant
Word Origin
- swank (adj.)
- "stylish, classy, posh," 1913, from earlier noun or verb; "A midland and s.w. dial. word taken into general slang use at the beginning of the 20th cent." [OED]; compare swank (n.) "ostentatious behavior," noted in 1854 as a Northampton word; swank (v.), from 1809 as "to strut, behave ostentatiously." Perhaps ultimately from Proto-Germanic *swank-, from PIE *sweng(w)-, a Germanic root meaning "to swing, turn, toss" (cognates: Middle High German swanken "to sway, totter, turn, swing," Old High German swingan "to swing;" see swing (v.)). Perhaps the notion is of "swinging" the body ostentatiously (compare swagger). A separate word-thread derives from Old English swancor "pliant, bending," and from this comes swanky (n.) "active or clever young fellow" (c. 1500).
Example
- 1. Hilary swank won the oscar award for best actress .
- 2. Wear an expensive watch just for swank .
- 3. Anything that stars hilary swank or morgan freeman I 'm generally wary of .
- 4. At 16 , she and her mother moved to los angeles , so swank could begin her acting career .
- 5. Students are later invited back to the white house to mingle with stars such as geena davis hilary swank alicia keyes and michelle kwan .