natty en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /ˈnæti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
Etymology
Originally slang, perhaps related to natural.
Meanings
-
(informal) Smart and fashionable.
“They’d look very natty, arm-in-crook together, and their best clothes on, whether or no, if he’s at all the well-favoured fellow he used to be.”
1878, Thomas Hardy, The Return of the Native:'One of our witnesses has already had the misfortune to be rather badly run down while cycling, and I've had a natty-looking box of chocolates by post from an "unknown friend" myself,' replied the inspector.
1927, Ernest Bramah [pseudonym; Ernest Brammah Smith], Max Carrados Mysteries:A natty dresser, especially by congressional standards, Mr. Curtis has turned his penchant for bright socks into an ice-breaker that he says helps constituents feel comfortable in approaching him.
2025 January 28, Cameron Joseph, “Meet Mitt Romney’s replacement – who could make or break the Trump agenda”, in The Christian Science Monitor:Anyway, while the creepy-video thing is under way there are also some scenes of Pullman looking very natty and East Village in all-black and jamming on his tenor sax in front of a packed dance floor (only in a David Lynch movie would people dance ecstatically to abstract jazz), […]
1997, David Foster Wallace, “David Lynch keeps his head”, in A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again, Kindle edition, Little, Brown Book Group:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| nattier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| nattiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
Translations (15)
de nett (Smart and fashionable) · ru нарядный (Smart and fashionable) · mk шизик, фраер (Smart and fashionable) · fi näppärä (Smart and fashionable) · ar أَنِيق (Smart and fashionable) · ar مُتَنَاغِم (Smart and fashionable) · cs fešácký (Smart and fashionable) · ru мо́дный (Smart and fashionable) · fi siisti (Smart and fashionable) · fr chic (Smart and fashionable) · fr élégant (Smart and fashionable) · mk модерен (Smart and fashionable) · fi tyylikäs (Smart and fashionable) · fi kätevä (Smart and fashionable) · de schick (Smart and fashionable)