# ritz

/ˈɹɪts/ (US) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/ritz
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

an expensive and high-quality style. You use this word when you want to describe something that looks very fancy or rich.

For teachers: an ostentatious display of elegance, luxury, or high fashion. Often used in the idiomatic phrase 'put on the ritz' to describe behaving in a wealthy or showy manner.

## Examples

- The hotel lobby was full of old-fashioned ritz.
- The gala was a night of pure ritz, with guests arriving in designer gowns and expensive jewelry.
- While the exterior of the building appeared modest, the interior was decorated with the kind of ritz usually reserved for royal palaces or five-star historic hotels.

## Usage notes

- Commonly appears in the fixed expression 'put on the ritz'.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.