dashing

1 of 2

adjective

dash·​ing ˈda-shiŋ How to pronounce dashing (audio)
Synonyms of dashingnext
1
: marked by vigorous action : spirited
a dashing young horse
2
: marked by smartness especially in dress and manners
dashingly
ˈda-shiŋ-lē How to pronounce dashing (audio)
adverb

dashing

2 of 2

present participle of dash entry 1

Synonyms of dashing

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Adjective

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Examples of dashing in a Sentence

Adjective She married a dashing young lawyer from the city. a brave and dashing soldier The actor cuts a dashing figure as a young Jack Kennedy.
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.
Adjective
When her gaze falls on a stranger in the dining car, she’s overtaken by a fantasy involving a dashing army officer in Central Europe in the nineteen-twenties. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 3 Aug. 2026 Howe has spoken repeatedly about the influence Keegan’s doomed and dashing team had on him as a young footballer. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 30 July 2026 The bulk of the original tale — Lara’s encounter with her sea witch aunt Grace, her emergence into the world of humans, her romance with a dashing prince — is sped through in the show’s first 15 minutes. — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 24 July 2026 In the Prime Video show based on the Elle Kennedy book series of the same name, Cameli plays the dashing, curly-haired hockey star Garrett Graham, who falls for music student Hannah Wells (played by Ella Bright). — Morgan Evans, USA Today, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for dashing

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

circa 1697, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of dashing was circa 1697

Rhymes for dashing

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Browse Nearby Words

dashiki
dashing
dash it (all)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dashing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dashing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

dashing

adjective
dash·​ing
ˈdash-iŋ
1
: noticeably bold and forceful
a dashing attack
2
: showy and stylish especially in dress and manners
made a dashing appearance
dashingly adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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