variants or preppie
plural preppies
1
: a student at or a graduate of a preparatory school
2
: a person deemed to dress or behave like a preppy

preppy

2 of 2

adjective

variants or preppie
1
: relating to, characteristic of, or being a preppy
2
: relating to or being a style of dress characterized especially by classic clothing and neat appearance

Did you know?

Slang Meaning of Preppy

A new use of preppy refers to a casual but upscale fashion trend, especially popular among preteen girls in the early 2020s, marked by bright colors and playful patterns. Some hallmarks include pastel pinks and blues, designs involving smiley faces and lightning bolts, athleisure, pleated miniskirts, baggy or cropped tops, hair bows, skincare products, and trendy accessories, with a premium placed on name brands. Learn more >

Examples of preppy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Dior’s take skews preppy, with items such as polo shirts and V-neck sweaters worn with Bermuda shorts or pleated pants, and jackets and blazers in muted checks. Joelle Diderich, WWD, 21 Jan. 2025 Sandro’s beach wear was more Martha’s Vineyard, as the brand played up the preppy for its summer collection. Rhonda Richford, WWD, 4 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Brooke Shields made her dark blue pair the base for a street look with a glossy puffer jacket and classic Adidas sneakers, while Demi Moore’s gray pair anchored a preppy look with a crewneck sweater and striped button-up shirt. Clint Davis, People.com, 16 Mar. 2025 Plaid can be preppy, when seen in suiting, or for the lumberjack in a flannel shirt. Christina Holevas, Vogue, 14 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for preppy

Word History

Etymology

Noun

prep entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

1880, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1900, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of preppy was in 1880

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Preppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/preppy. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on preppy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!