adjective

bougie

BOO-zhee

Bougie (adjective) means Fancy, expensive and a bit self-consciously upmarket, especially in a way that shows someone is trying to seem better off than they are. Example: “Fifteen pounds for a sandwich is far too bougie for a Tuesday.”

adjective

informal Fancy, expensive and a bit self-consciously upmarket, especially in a way that shows someone is trying to seem better off than they are.

"Fifteen pounds for a sandwich is far too bougie for a Tuesday."

"She has gone very bougie since the promotion."

noun

informal A person with expensive tastes or middle-class pretensions.

"The café is full of bougies with laptops."

technical In medicine, a thin flexible instrument passed into a body passage to widen it or to check that it is clear.

"The registrar passed a bougie to secure the airway."

How to Use Bougie

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishFancy in a slightly show-off way.

When to use it

Slang, usually teasing rather than hostile, and can be self-mocking: my bougie little coffee habit.

Memory tip

Say it BOO-zhee. The medical instrument shares the spelling but is a completely separate word in everyday use.

Trace the full origin ↓

Easily confused with

boujee → bourgeois → basic →

Common pairings

so bougie bougie taste bougie neighbourhood

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Fill the Gap

Can you complete this real example?

Fifteen pounds for a sandwich is far too _____ for a Tuesday.

Etymology

A shortening of bourgeois, from French, meaning middle-class.

Origin: English

Synonyms

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upmarket posh fancy pretentious high-end

Antonyms

down-to-earth basic

Related Words

like want love easy common project picture simple

Rhymes for bougie

pie die lie tie sie vie hie i.e. brie movie eerie moxie

See all rhymes for bougie →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between bougie and boujee?

They are two spellings of the same slang idea, both traced back to bourgeois. Bougie usually carries a light mocking edge, meaning fancy or pretentious, while boujee, the spelling popularised through hip-hop, more often means genuinely luxurious and is used approvingly.

Is calling someone bougie an insult?

It is usually a gentle tease rather than a real insult, aimed at expensive or fussy tastes. Said sharply it can imply someone is a snob who has forgotten where they came from, so tone matters.

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