stylish

stylish — adjective

1. describing something that shows good taste and careful attention to how it looks

1.形容詞B1
釋義

describing something that shows good taste and careful attention to how it looks, is made, or is done — for example, a well-designed chair, a carefully chosen outfit, or a warmly delivered speech that impresses others.

例句

Elena wore a stylish black dress to her sister's wedding reception.

attributive: stylish + clothing item (dress, suit, jacket)

The hotel lobby had a stylish modern design with marble columns and soft lighting.

attributive: stylish + design / decor / interior

同義詞
  • elegant

    suggests classic, understated beauty; less about bold design choices than stylish

  • classy

    informal; implies high social standards and sophistication

  • tasteful

    focuses on appropriateness and harmony rather than fashion-forwardness

  • refined

    suggests cultivated, polished manners or design; slightly more formal

反義詞
  • tacky

    informal; describes something showy and low-quality

  • unfashionable

    not matching current or refined standards of taste

文法句型

stylish + noun (attributive)

be/look/seem + stylish (predicative)

用法筆記

Gradable — you can say 'more stylish' or 'very stylish'. Frequently appears before nouns describing clothing, interior design, architecture, and behaviour (speeches, manners). This sense emphasises timeless quality and personal taste rather than following fast-changing trends.

常見錯誤

❌He wore a stylish suit that was cheap and poorly made.
✅He wore a stylish suit that was beautifully tailored.
💡'stylish' describes good design and appearance; the sentence becomes contradictory when paired with 'poorly made.'
❌The restaurant's food was very stylish.
✅The restaurant's presentation of the food was very stylish.
💡'stylish' applies to appearance and design, not to taste or flavour.

2. describing something that matches the current popular standards of what looks co

2.形容詞B1
釋義

describing something that matches the current popular standards of what looks cool or attractive, especially in clothes, accessories, home design, and online content.

例句

Shirin always knows which sneaker styles are stylish long before they hit the shops.

predicative: be + stylish (referring to fashion trends)

Tamar decorated her living room with stylish neon signs and velvet furniture.

attributive: stylish + decorative items (neon signs, velvet furniture)

同義詞
  • fashionable

    more directly tied to current trends and what is popular among many people; slightly more commercial feel

  • trendy

    informal; suggests following the latest fads closely, sometimes with a hint of being temporary

  • chic

    French-origin; implies sophisticated, often Parisian-style elegance; slightly higher register

  • cool

    very informal; broad meaning that can include attitude and personality, not just appearance

反義詞
  • outdated

    no longer matching current trends

  • dowdy

    describes someone or something that looks old-fashioned and dull

文法句型

stylish + noun (attributive)

be/look/seem + stylish (predicative)

用法筆記

This sense overlaps with sense 1, but here the focus is on alignment with current trends rather than timeless elegance. Sense 2 is more commonly used with fast-changing categories such as clothes, accessories, phone cases, social-media aesthetics, and interior-decorating fads.

常見錯誤

❌That band's music was stylish in the 1990s.
✅That band's music was popular in the 1990s.
💡'stylish' describes visual appearance and design taste, not the general popularity of music.
❌She bought a stylish dress that everyone was wearing this season.
✅She bought a fashionable dress that everyone was wearing this season.
💡'fashionable' more directly emphasises mass popularity; 'stylish' leans toward personal good taste.