posh
gb/pˈɑʃ/ us/pˈɑʃ/
B1
English
előkelő, puccos, úrias
B1
INFORMAL
1
Usage pattern:
[a] posh [hotel/restaurant/car/party]
They stayed in a posh hotel near the river.
Egy előkelő szállodában szálltak meg a folyó közelében.
It’s a posh restaurant, so you might want to book a table.
Ez egy előkelő étterem, ezért érdemes asztalt foglalni.
She arrived in a posh car that looked brand new.
Learner examples
This is a posh hotel.
Ez egy előkelő szálloda.
We ate at a posh restaurant.
Egy előkelő étteremben ettünk.
Common mistake:
Do not confuse posh with push; posh describes luxury, not movement.
Meaning
stylish and expensive
Collocations
posh hotel
|posh restaurant
|posh car
|posh clothes
|posh party
|posh meal
|posh area
|posh apartment
|posh coffee
|posh decor
Synonyms
luxurious (More formal and strongly connected to luxury.)
|
upmarket (Often used for shops, products, and areas.)
|
fancy (More general; can be less connected to wealth.)
Antonyms
cheap (Low price; not high-quality or luxurious.)
|
basic (Simple and without extra comfort or style.)
|
downmarket (Opposite of upmarket; lower-end.)
Themes
lifestyle
|shopping
|travel
|food_and_drink
Definition
nice and expensive-looking
Fashionable and attractive in a way that suggests high cost or luxury.
B2
INFORMAL
2
Usage pattern:
posh [accent/school/family/neighborhood]
He speaks with a posh accent that stands out in the office.
Úrias kiejtéssel beszél, ami feltűnik az irodában.
She went to a posh private school outside London.
Londonon kívül egy előkelő magániskolába járt.
It’s a posh part of town, with big houses and quiet streets.
Learner examples
He has a posh accent.
Úrias kiejtése van.
They live in a posh area.
Előkelő környéken élnek.
Common mistake:
Posh can describe speech (a posh accent), not just places or objects.
Meaning
upper-class in style
Collocations
posh accent
|posh school
|posh family
|posh background
|posh neighborhood
|posh manners
|posh voice
|posh friends
|posh upbringing
|posh address
Synonyms
upper-class (More neutral and direct; less informal than posh.)
|
well-to-do (Focuses on having money rather than style or accent.)
|
aristocratic (More specific; suggests nobility or traditional high status.)
Antonyms
working-class (Relating to people with traditional wage-earning jobs.)
|
ordinary (Not special or elite.)
|
common (Informal; can be negative, meaning not refined.)
Themes
society
|identity_and_culture
|language
Definition
like rich, upper-class people
Connected with or typical of wealthy, socially high-status people, especially in speech, manners, or lifestyle.
Grammar
Dictionary form
posh
IPA
GB/pˈɑʃ/
US/pˈɑʃ/
Syllables & stress
posh (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (posh)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: posh
- Comparative: posher
- Superlative: poshest
Word family
Forms
posher
adjective
poshest
adjective
Related words
poshness
noun
Negative and opposite forms
unposh
adjective
Advanced or less common
poshly
adverb
Expressions
posh nosh
1/pˈɑʃ nˈoʊʃ/
fixed phrase
informal
fancy food
fancy, expensive food
Examples
- They served posh nosh and champagne at the reception.
- We don’t need posh nosh—pizza is fine.
- The new menu is full of posh nosh with tiny portions.
Learner examples
- They served posh nosh.
posh up
1/pˈɑʃ ˈʌp/
phrasal verb
informal
make something look nicer
make something look more expensive
Examples
- We poshed up the living room with new cushions and a lamp.
- She poshed her outfit up with a smart jacket.
- They’re poshing up the café before the summer season.
Learner examples
- I want to posh up my room.
- They poshed the place up.
too posh to push
1/tˈu pˈɑʃ tə pˈʊʃ/
fixed phrase
informal
refusing because it feels beneath you
thinking a normal task is too low for you
Examples
- He wouldn’t carry his own bag—too posh to push, apparently.
- If you won’t take the bus with the rest of us, you’re too posh to push.
- She joked that she was too posh to push, then helped anyway.