Dandify

/ˈdændɪfaɪ/ verb

Definition

To dress up or make someone look like a dandy, or to make something elegant and stylish in an exaggerated way.

Etymology

From dandy (a man obsessed with fine clothing) + -ify (a suffix meaning to make or cause to be). The word dandy itself likely comes from 18th-century British slang, possibly from the French word 'dandine' or from the name Andy.

Kelly Says

Dandify shows how English adds 'makeover' verbs to nouns—we don't just have dandies, we can actually dandify people! This same -ify pattern gave us magnify, horrify, and terrify, making it one of the most productive word-building tools in English.

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