dapper
/ˈdæpəɹ/adjective, noun
dapper is spelled D-A-P-P-E-R: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, dapper means “Neat, trim” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in dapper?
| Letters | 6: D-A-P-P-E-R |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 32,393rd most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
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); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is dapper?
Dapper appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 32,393rd 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 dapper?
- UK /ˈdæpə/
- US /ˈdæpəɹ/
Dapper 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-dapper.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with dapper?
8 words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as dapper from its last stressed vowel (/æpəɹ/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of dapper
- dapperer comparative
- dapperest superlative
- dappers plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does dapper mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Neat, trim.
- 2
Stylishly dressed, neatly dressed, spiffy.
- 3
Quick; little and active.
noun
- 1
UKA plimsoll.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Dapper in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | fringant, sémillant , chic |
| Spanish | pulcro, atildado , apuesto, gallardo, elegante, peripuesto |
| Portuguese | elegante |
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 dapper come from?
From Middle English daper (“pretty, neat”), from Middle Dutch dapper (“stalwart, nimble”), Old Dutch *dapar, from Proto-Germanic *dapraz (“stout; solid; heavy; bold”) (compare German tapfer "bold", Norwegian daper "saddened, dreary"), from Proto-Indo-European *dʰeb- ‘thick, heavy’ (compare Tocharian A tpär ‘high’, Latvian dàbls ‘strong’, Serbo-Croatian дебео (dèbeo) ‘fat’).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).