hoity-toity

Meanings

1. 1adjectivecomparabledisapproving

   Acting as if you are better than other people, in an affected and snobbish way.

   Grammar: Can come before a noun or after be: a hoity-toity waiter, she is hoity-toity.

   Patterns

   • hoity-toity about something
   • get hoity-toity with someone

   The hoity-toity waiter sniffed at our order of plain water.

   She got all hoity-toity when she moved to the fancy neighborhood.

   Don't be so hoity-toity; it's only a paper cup.

2. 2adjectivebefore a nounhumorous

   Overly fancy or showy, as if meant to impress people of high status.

   Grammar: Used with things such as places or manners: a hoity-toity restaurant.

   We avoided the hoity-toity restaurant and had burgers at a diner.

   The club's hoity-toity dress code put off the younger members.

   He found the gallery's hoity-toity atmosphere a bit silly.

Word forms

Common combinations

hoity-toity manner

Her hoity-toity manner made it hard for guests to relax.

hoity-toity accent

He put on a hoity-toity accent to tease his sister.

act hoity-toity

Don't act hoity-toity just because you own a new car.

hoity-toity crowd

The party was full of the hoity-toity crowd from the art world.

hoity-toity restaurant

We'd never afford that hoity-toity restaurant.

Synonyms and how they differ

snobbish

Snobbish is the plain, general word, while hoity-toity is lighter, more teasing and a bit old-fashioned.

pretentious

Pretentious stresses faking importance or culture, whereas hoity-toity is about acting superior.

stuck-up

Stuck-up is similar and informal, but it sounds blunter and more childish.

high-and-mighty

High-and-mighty emphasizes arrogant power over others, a little stronger than hoity-toity.

Opposites

Word family

hoity-toitiness noun

the quality of being snobbish, rare

snob noun

someone who looks down on people considered lower

snobbery noun

snobbish attitudes

Commonly confused: hoity-toity or hoi polloi?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “hoity-toity”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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