Meaning & use
hipper
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“hipper” is a form of “hip”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
adjectivecomparableinformal
More fashionable, up to date or admired by young trend-setting people than something or someone else.
Grammar: Comparative form of hip; often followed by than: hipper than the old cafe.
Patterns
- hipper than something
- get hipper
- a hipper crowd
This neighborhood is much hipper than where I grew up.
He bought new sneakers to look hipper.
The new coffee shop attracts a hipper crowd than the diner next door.
Word forms
| base form | hip |
|---|---|
| superlative | hippest |
Common combinations
- much hipper
- The east side of town is much hipper these days.
- hipper crowd
- A hipper crowd shows up after ten o'clock.
- hipper than ever
- The old market looks hipper than ever.
- try to look hipper
- He wore a leather jacket to try to look hipper.
Synonyms and how they differ
- trendier
- Trendier is more general and can describe anything in fashion, while hipper suggests a cool, slightly underground image.
- cooler
- Cooler is broader and can describe anything impressive, whereas hipper is tied to style and trends.
- more fashionable
- More fashionable is neutral and suits written English, while hipper is casual and spoken.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: hipper or hippie?
hipper vs hippie
A hippie is a person linked to the 1960s counterculture, while hipper is a comparative adjective about being fashionable.
Practice
The new gallery is ____ than the old museum, so it attracts a younger crowd.
Choose one answer.
Hipper is the comparative needed before than. Hippest is the superlative, and plain hip does not complete the comparison.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “hipper”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.