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When you perform your ablutions, you wash yourself; this can be part of a religious ceremony as well.
Something antediluvian is so old or old-fashioned that it seems to belong to a much earlier period in history.
Someone who is churlish is impolite and unfriendly, especially towards another who has done nothing to deserve ill-treatment.
If someone is complaisant, they are willing to please others and do what they want without complaining.
A congenial person, place, or environment is pleasant, friendly, and enjoyable.
A man who is debonair is sophisticated, charming, friendly, and confident.
Decorous appearance or behavior is respectable, polite, and appropriate for a given occasion.
Decrepitude is the state of being very old, worn out, or very ill; therefore, something or someone is no longer in good physical condition or good health.
Something, such as a building, is derelict if it is empty, not used, and in bad condition or disrepair.
A dilapidated building, vehicle, etc. is old, broken-down, and in very bad condition.
Someone who is fastidious cares excessively about small details and wants to keep everything correct, tidy, very clean, and in perfect order.
Flair can either refer to a natural talent that you possess or the ability you have to make the most of your personal style.
A gauche person behaves in an awkward and unsuitable way in public because they lack social skills.
A genteel person is well-mannered, has good taste, and is very polite in social situations; a genteel person is often from an upper-class background.
Something grotesque is so distorted or misshapen that it is disturbing, bizarre, gross, or very ugly.
Something that is immaculate is very clean, pure, or completely free from error.
If you describe someone’s appearance or behavior as impeccable, you mean that it is perfect and therefore impossible to criticize.
Something loathsome is offensive, disgusting, and brings about intense dislike.
Something macabre is so gruesome or frightening that it causes great horror in those who see it.
Malaise is a feeling of discontent, general unease, or even illness in a person or group for which there does not seem to be a quick and easy solution because the cause of it is not clear.
Someone is considered meticulous when they act with careful attention to detail.
If you do something with panache, you do it in a way that shows great skill, style, and confidence.
To be punctilious is to pay precise attention to detail.
Something that is repulsive is offensive, highly unpleasant, or just plain disgusting.
When you experience revulsion, you feel a great deal of disgust or extreme dislike for something.
If you have good sartorial taste, you know what to wear to your best advantage, or you have the skills of a tailor.
A slovenly person is untidy or messy.
The word squalor describes very dirty and unpleasant conditions that people live or work in, usually due to poverty or neglect.
A troglodyte is reclusive, severely lacking in social skills, and is out of step with current times.
To act in an uncouth manner is to be awkward and unmannerly.
Someone who is ungainly is clumsy or awkward; something ungainly can be difficult to use, primarily because of its size or weight.
An unkempt person or thing is untidy and has not been kept neat.
If you say someone’s behavior is unseemly, you disapprove of it because it is not in good taste or not suitable for a particular situation.
An unsightly person presents an ugly, unattractive, or disagreeable face to the world.
If you behave in an urbane way, you are behaving in a polite, refined, and civilized fashion in social situations.
A yokel is uneducated, naive, and unsophisticated; they do not know much about modern life or ideas because they sequester themselves in a rural setting.
Adj.
dapper
DAP-er
Context
The young gentleman looks dapper, well groomed, and neat in his new, striped suit. He walks along the sidewalk in a crisp and dapper manner with a lively spring in his step. Everyone admires his dapper or stylish appearance, thinking to themselves that such a sharply dressed man must be on his way to do something quite important or fun.
Quiz:Try again!
What would a dapper man be likely to wear?
A well-fitted silk suit with a stylish hat and polished shoes.
A hand-me-down suit that is stained and wrinkled.
An expensive watch that signals his wealth and power.
Dapper Dan In the film O Brother Where Art Thou, Ulysses used Dapper Dan on his hair which made him look quite smashing and dapper.
Examples
Kimron Dixon had an extra reason to wake up early for Tuesday's first day of school in the city. The 11-year-old was starting sixth grade at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School. And for the third straight year, scores of men from the community—dapper and dignified, in suits and in uniform—would be waiting for him and other King students outside the north Hartford school in a receiving line of high-fives and we-are-here-for-you camaraderie.
—
Hartford Courant
Among the men in attendance, the designer Dapper Dan—an original and a Gucci collaborator—won the night, wearing a design of his own: an embroidered tailcoat, an embroidered waistcoat, a perfect trouser.
—
The New Yorker
[Tom Wolfe] was absolutely an iconic figure. And you couldn't miss him in publishing circles and in literary circles. He was always dressed in white. He looked extremely dapper. He had a three-piece white suit complete with tie and a hat, always. He never dressed in any other color.
—
NPR
A dapper, elegant man with a vast wardrobe, Mr. Hook had a flair for the grand gesture and theatrical flourish, which would sometimes startle tourists when he did a pirouette before leading them to a table.
—
The New York Times
Word Ingredients
From a root word meaning “neatness.”
Word Theater
ABC 7 News Sir Darius Brown sews stylish bow ties to help shelter dogs look as dapper as possible to increase their chances of getting adopted.
The panel shows a small video clip of either the word in actual use or a scene that represents the meaning of a word. This not only breaks up the monotony of studying words but also provides another avenue to strengthen word meaning. Enjoy!