posh
Posh (adj) means Associated with wealth or the upper classes; stylish and expensive. Example: “They booked a table at a posh restaurant downtown.”
How to use posh
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishUpper-class, stylish, or expensive — mainly British usage.
The "port out, starboard home" origin story is a well-known myth — don't repeat it as fact.
Very common in British English; Americans would more often say "fancy" or "upscale."
Word forms
- Plural
- poshes
- Third person singular
- poshes
- Past tense
- poshed
- Comparative
- posher, more posh
- Superlative
- poshest, most posh
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
They booked a table at a _____ restaurant downtown.
Etymology
Origin uncertain, likely from Romani posh ("half"), possibly via slang for money like "half a crown." The popular idea that it stands for "port out, starboard home" is a myth with no real evidence.