chichi

[ shee-shee ]
See synonyms for chichi on Thesaurus.com
adjective
  1. showily or affectedly elegant or trendy; pretentious.

noun
  1. a chichi person or thing.

  2. the quality of being chichi.

Origin of chichi

1
Borrowed into English from French around 1905–10

Other words for chichi

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use chichi in a sentence

  • Occasionally it is found in such rugs as the Chichis and Shirvans.

    Oriental Rugs | Walter A. Hawley
  • The Chichis had two smooth rocks which looked like ice, but were more slippery than any ice (rock crystals).

British Dictionary definitions for chichi (1 of 2)

chichi1

/ (ˈʃiːˌʃiː) /


adjective
  1. affectedly pretty or stylish

noun
  1. the quality of being affectedly pretty or stylish

Origin of chichi

1
C20: from French

British Dictionary definitions for chichi (2 of 2)

chichi2

/ (ˈtʃiːˌtʃiː) /


nounplural chichis (formerly, in India)
  1. : Also (less common): chee-chee

    • a person of mixed British and Indian descent; Anglo-Indian

    • (as modifier): a chichi accent

Origin of chichi

2
C18: perhaps from Hindi chhī-chhī, literally: dirt, or perhaps imitative of their supposed singsong speech

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012