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adj

preppy

PREH-pee

Preppy (adj) means resembling the neat, conservative style of clothing associated with private prep-school students. Example: “She showed up in a preppy outfit — pastel polo, chinos, and loafers.”

adj
1
Resembling the neat, conservative style of clothing associated with private prep-school students.
"She showed up in a preppy outfit — pastel polo, chinos, and loafers."
noun
1
A student, or a person with the tidy, conventional style, associated with prep schools.
"The preppies all sat together at the front of the bus."

How to use preppy

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishDescribes a clean-cut, upper-middle-class private-school look or attitude.

Common pairings
preppy style preppy look preppy clothes

Word forms

preppier comparative, more preppy comparative, preppies plural, preppiest superlative, most preppy superlative

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She showed up in a _____ outfit — pastel polo, chinos, and loafers.

Etymology

Built from "prep" (short for preparatory school) plus the adjective-forming suffix "-y".

Rhymes for preppy

See all rhymes for preppy →

Frequently asked questions

What does “preppy” mean?

The word “preppy” means resembling the neat, conservative style of clothing associated with private prep-school students. In plain terms, describes a clean-cut, upper-middle-class private-school look or attitude.

How do you pronounce “preppy”?

“Preppy” is pronounced PREH-pee (/ˈpɹɛ.pi/ in IPA).

How do you use “preppy” in a sentence?

Here is “preppy” used in a sentence: “She showed up in a preppy outfit — pastel polo, chinos, and loafers.”

What part of speech is “preppy”?

Depending on how it is used, “preppy” can be an adjective and a noun.

How many meanings does “preppy” have?

“Preppy” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: resembling the neat, conservative style of clothing associated with private prep-school students.

Definitions: FreeDict original editorial