stripper
6 synonyms and 0 antonyms for stripper, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — A person who takes off their clothes to music as a paid performance, usually in a club or at a private party.
Synonyms
Less common
Still standard English, but they carry more weight.
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
Synonyms by Meaning
1. noun
A person who takes off their clothes to music as a paid performance, usually in a club or at a private party.
“She worked as a stripper for two years to pay her way through law school.”
2. noun
A chemical product or tool used to remove a coating such as paint, varnish or wallpaper from a surface.
“Brush the paint stripper on thickly and leave it for twenty minutes.”
How to Use Stripper
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
The performer sense is neutral-to-blunt; the chemical sense is entirely ordinary.
Etymology
From the verb strip "to remove a covering" plus the agent suffix -er.
Full origin of stripper →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a stripper and an exotic dancer?
They describe the same job. "Exotic dancer" is the more neutral or professional term, often preferred by performers and used in job listings, while "stripper" is the everyday word and can sound blunt or dismissive depending on tone.
Is stripper an offensive word?
It is not a slur, and many performers use it about themselves. It can still carry stigma, so in formal or respectful contexts "dancer" or "exotic dancer" is the safer choice.
What does stripper mean in DIY?
It means a paint or varnish remover — a chemical gel or liquid that softens an old finish so it can be scraped off — or a hand tool such as a wire stripper that removes insulation from cable.