dandy
/ˈdæn.di/noun, adjective
dandy is spelled D-A-N-D-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,906th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, dandy means “A man very concerned about his physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of…” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of dandy is dandies.
How many letters and syllables are in dandy?
| Letters | 5: D-A-N-D-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.8 times per million words; the 20,906th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is dandy?
Dandy appears 1.8 times per million words in written English, the 20,906th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce dandy?
- /ˈdæn.di/
Dandy has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-dandy.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Wodencafe-dandy.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of dandy
- dandies plural
- dandier comparative
- dandiest superlative
- dandi
- dandie
- dandee
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dandy mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A man very concerned about his physical appearance, refined language, and leisurely hobbies, pursued with the appearance of nonchalance in a cult of self.
- 2
Something excellent in its class.
- 3
UKA yawl, or a small after-sail on a yawl.
- 4
A dandy roller.
- 5
IrelandUKarchaicslangA small glass of whisky.
- 6
A horse-drawn railway carriage used on some branch lines.
- 7
IndiaA boatman, a rower.
Our Dandees (or boatmen) boyled their rice.
- 8
IndiaA Shaiva mendicant who carries a small rod.
- 9
IndiaAn open sedan chair formed by suspending a rudimentary frame or strong cloth from a pole or set of poles.
adjective
- 1
Like a dandy, foppish.
- 2
Very good; better than expected but not as good as could be.
That's all fine and dandy, but how much does it cost?
- 3
Excellent; first-rate.
What a dandy little laptop you have.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dandy in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | dandy , très bien |
| German | Dandy, Pinkel , prima, schön, gut |
| Portuguese | janota, casquilho, peralta, peravilho , catita |
| Spanish | dandy, dandi, gomoso, petimetre, pisaverde, lechuguino |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does dandy come from?
Borrowed from Scots dandy (“a fop; one who is well-dressed”). Of uncertain origin. Possibly from Dandy, a diminutive of Andrew, yet the Scots word is used also in reference to women. Alternatively, possibly a back-formation of Scots dandilly, dandillie (“one who is spoiled or pampered; a "pet"”). Compare English dandle and dander.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).