fashionable

fashionable — adjective

1. describes something that many people like, wear, or do for a period of time beca

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes something that many people like, wear, or do for a period of time because it matches the current style

Example

Selim noticed that vintage jackets were fashionable again this winter.

temporal cycle: fashionable again

Esteban bought a fashionable leather jacket from a stall in Shilin Night Market last weekend.

attributive: fashionable + noun (jacket)

Common collocations
  • become fashionable
  • fashionable again
  • no longer fashionable
  • fashionable in
  • fashionable among
  • currently fashionable
  • fashionable these days
Synonyms
  • trendy

    more informal and suggests a shorter-lived, more passing popularity

  • in vogue

    more formal and literary; often used for ideas rather than objects

  • popular

    broader meaning — can describe anything many people like, not just style-related things

  • stylish

    focuses on elegance and good taste rather than following the latest trend

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

be / become / remain fashionable

fashionable + noun (clothes, idea, place, activity)

it + be + fashionable + to-infinitive

no longer / still / currently fashionable

Usage Note

Often paired with time signals (currently, no longer, these days, this season) to show that popularity changes over time. Can describe not only clothing but also ideas, activities, places, and ways of working.

Common Mistakes

Swimming is a very fashionable sport in our town.
Swimming is a very popular sport in our town.
fashionable relates to current style or trends; popular just means many people like or do something.
Fashionable clothes are very expensive.
Some fashionable clothes are cheap if you know where to look.
being in style does not always mean costing a lot of money.

2. describes a person who follows the latest styles in clothing, activities, and pl

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes a person who follows the latest styles in clothing, activities, and places that are currently popular

Example

Isabela is the most fashionable person in her office and always buys new clothes.

most fashionable + person-noun

Élise tries to look fashionable even when she is just running errands.

look fashionable

Common collocations
  • look fashionable
  • stay fashionable
  • fashionable person
  • fashionable crowd
  • most fashionable
  • fashionable friends
  • fashionable couple
Synonyms
  • stylish

    focuses on looking good through personal taste rather than following trends

  • trendy

    more informal; stresses being up-to-the-minute with the latest fashions

  • chic

    suggests elegance and sophistication, often with French associations

  • hip

    very informal; describes a person who knows about and follows the newest, most alternative trends

Antonyms
  • unfashionable

    not following current trends

  • frumpy

    informal; describes someone whose clothes look old-fashioned and dull

  • outdated

    not up to date with current styles

Grammar Patterns

fashionable + person-noun (woman, man, person, friend, crowd)

look / stay / be fashionable

the most fashionable + noun

not very fashionable (negative form)

Usage Note

Only describes people. When describing a person as fashionable, the focus is on their active effort to follow current trends, not on the quality or cost of their clothes. For a general compliment about someone's appearance, stylish is often a safer choice.

Common Mistakes

She is fashionable because her clothes cost a lot.
She is fashionable because her outfits match what is currently in style.
spending money does not make someone fashionable; following current trends does.
He is a very fashionable man; he has been wearing the same coat for twenty years.
He is a very stylish man; his coat has lasted twenty years.
fashionable requires following current changes in style, not timeless individual taste.

Word family

  • fashion
    nounB1
  • fashionably
    adverbB2
  • unfashionable
    adjectiveB2
  • fashionista
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Fashionable (B1) is the most general word for anything that matches the current style. Trendy (B2) is more informal and suggests something is very new and possibly short-lived — trendy items come and go quickly. Stylish (B1) focuses on personal taste and elegance rather than following trends: someone can be stylish without being fashionable. Chic (C1) adds a sense of French-influenced sophistication and is usually a compliment about refined taste. In vogue (C1) is more formal and literary, often used for ideas or practices rather than clothes. For example, 'minimalist design is in vogue right now' sounds natural in a design magazine, while 'those sneakers are trendy' fits a casual chat between friends.

trendy ↗stylish ↗chic ↗in vogue

Common collocations

Nouns

  • fashionable clothes
  • fashionable style
  • fashionable designer
  • fashionable restaurant
  • fashionable neighborhood

Adverbs

  • highly fashionable
  • very fashionable
  • quite fashionable
  • incredibly fashionable
  • extremely fashionable

Phrases

Prepositions

  • fashionable among
  • fashionable in

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Fashionable is formed from the noun 'fashion' plus the suffix '-able', meaning 'capable of being or worthy of'. The word 'fashion' entered English from Old French 'façon', which meant 'way, shape, or appearance'. That French word came from Latin 'factio', meaning 'a making or doing' (from the verb 'facere', to make or do). By the 1600s, 'fashionable' was being used in English to describe things that follow the current way of dressing, behaving, or thinking.