Posh

Posh (adjective / UK Slang)

(Also heard as: Dead posh, Well posh, Posh as)

Definition:

Fancy, expensive or upper-class. It can describe a thing, like a posh hotel, or a person, an accent or a whole way of life.

Where It Comes From:

A popular story says it stands for “Port Out, Starboard Home”, the shady cabins that wealthy passengers paid for on ocean liners. There is no evidence for it, and the real origin of the word is uncertain. It has been used in English since the early 1900s and is one of the best-loved British words for anything a bit grand.

How People Actually Use It:

Used for fancy restaurants, expensive shops and people who sound upper-class. It is often gentle teasing rather than an insult, and younger Brits stick “dead” or “well” in front of it for emphasis. If someone says you have gone posh, it usually means you are putting on airs or treating yourself.

Examples in the Wild:

• “We went for dinner at a really posh restaurant.”

  Meaning: It was fancy and expensive.

• “Listen to him, he has gone all posh.”

  Meaning: He is putting on a more upper-class accent.

• “Dead posh trainers, those.”

  Meaning: They look very expensive and stylish.

Similar Slang:

Bougie, Swanky, Plush, Upmarket, Classy