Waspy

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. characterized by a polished and sophisticated appearance that is often associated with a privileged background or high-status group
2. Relating to features or attitudes commonly linked to an affluent white Anglo-Saxon Protestant demographic
3. Displaying traits often connected with an elite group of predominantly white, Protestant heritage and social privilege

Etymology: "Waspy" is built from "WASP," the acronym for White Anglo-Saxon Protestant, plus the common adjective-forming suffix "-y," which turns a noun into a word meaning "having the qualities of" that noun. The acronym itself is the more interesting piece. It was coined in the United States in the 1960s by the sociologist E. Digby Baltzell, who used it to name a dominant, established upper-class group of Protestant descent, but over time the term was adopted more broadly to describe a style rather than a religion or ancestry. That shift is the heart of the word. "Waspy" now describes a cluster of manners and looks: understated clothing, polished speech, a preference for old-money restraint over flashy display. Someone can be described as waspy regardless of their actual heritage, which is why the adjective often carries a note of gentle mockery as well as admiration.

Synonyms: narrow, thin, slender

Antonyms: broad, wide