Style — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈstī(-ə)l/

Meaning & Definition of Style

Style (noun)

  1. a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed
  2. a distinctive manner of expression (as in writing or speech)
  3. a distinctive manner or custom of behaving or conducting oneself; also, a particular mode of living

Style (verb)

  1. to give a particular style to
  2. to give a particular shape to (hair)
  3. to design and make (something, such as clothing) in a particular style or for a particular purpose

Style (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. a distinctive way of putting ideas into words

    "I correctly identified the quotation because I recognized Mark Twain's inimitable style"

    similar: fashion, locution, manner, mode, phraseology, tone, vein
    related: address, delivery, elocution, colloquialism, regionalism, acceptation, connotation, denotation, expression, idiom

  2. the means or procedure for doing something

    "unfortunately, the club president's usual style is to make decisions without asking anyone's advice or approval"

    similar: approach, fashion, form, how, manner, method, methodology, recipe, strategy, system, tack, tactics, technique, way
    related: mode, modus operandi, blueprint, design, game, game plan, ground plan, intrigue, layout, line, model, plan, plot, program, route, scheme, expedient, move, shift, step, practice, process, routine, policy

  3. a practice or interest that is very popular for a short time

    "parents who were very relieved when the style for having one's nose pierced faded"

    similar: buzz, chic, craze, dernier cri, enthusiasm, fad, fashion, flavor, go, hot ticket, last word, latest, mode, rage, sensation, ton, trend, vogue
    related: nine days' wonder, new wave, crush, infatuation, fervor, passion, furor, fuss, hullabaloo, to-do, uproar, bandwagon, crusade, cult, movement, novelty, wrinkle, caprice, fancy, whim
    near: classic, standard

Style (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give a name to

    "although nowadays he's often styled a biologist, he's probably better thought of as a classic 19th-century naturalist"

    similar: baptize, call, christen, clepe (archaic), denominate, designate, dub, entitle, label, name, nominate, term, title
    related: brand, stigmatize, tag, denote, specify, miscall, misname, mistitle, code-name, nickname, rechristen, relabel, rename, surname

Related Entry: Cramp one's style (phrase)

Cramp one's style is a different word from Style. The synonyms below are for cramp one's style, not for style.

  1. to create difficulty for the work or activity of

    "His little brother was always cramping his style when he wanted to hang out with his friends."

    similar: clog, cramp, embarrass, encumber, fetter, hamper, handcuff, handicap, hinder, hobble, hog-tie, hold back, hold up, impede, inhibit, interfere (with), manacle, obstruct, shackle, short-circuit, stymie, tie up, trammel, give a hard time
    related: balk, check, constrain, curb, rein, restrain, bind, chain, halter, leash, tether, tie, arrest, brake, delay, retain, retard, barricade, block, blockade, roadblock, bog (down), mire, choke, smother, stifle, strangle, suffocate, baffle, foil, frustrate, stump, thwart, derail, disrupt, sabotage, muzzle, repress, suppress, confine, hedge (in), hem (in)
    opposite: aid, assist, facilitate, help
    near: clear, make way, open, unclog, unplug, unstop, free, liberate, release, untie, loosen, smooth, encourage, further, promote

Related Entry: Cramped one's style (phrase)

Cramped one's style is a different word from Style. The synonyms below are for cramped one's style, not for style.

  1. to create difficulty for the work or activity of

    "His little brother was always cramping his style when he wanted to hang out with his friends."

    similar: clogged, cramped, embarrassed, encumbered, fettered, hampered, handcuffed, handicapped, held back, held up, hindered, hobbled, hog-tied, impeded, inhibited, interfered (with), manacled, obstructed, shackled, short-circuited, stymied, tied up, trammeled, gave a hard time
    related: balked, checked, constrained, curbed, reined, restrained, bound, chained, haltered, leashed, tethered, tied, arrested, braked, delayed, retained, retarded, barricaded, blockaded, blocked, roadblocked, bogged (down), mired, choked, smothered, stifled, strangled, suffocated, baffled, foiled, frustrated, stumped, thwarted, derailed, disrupted, sabotaged, muzzled, repressed, suppressed, confined, hedged (in), hemmed (in)
    opposite: aided, assisted, facilitated, helped
    near: cleared, made way, opened, unclogged, unplugged, unstopped, freed, liberated, released, untied, loosened, smoothed, encouraged, furthered, promoted

Related Entry: Cramps one's style (phrase)

Cramps one's style is a different word from Style. The synonyms below are for cramps one's style, not for style.

  1. to create difficulty for the work or activity of

    "His little brother was always cramping his style when he wanted to hang out with his friends."

    similar: clogs, cramps, embarrasses, encumbers, fetters, hampers, handcuffs, handicaps, hinders, hobbles, hog-ties, holds back, holds up, impedes, inhibits, interferes (with), manacles, obstructs, shackles, short-circuits, stymies, ties up, trammels, gives a hard time
    related: balks, checks, constrains, curbs, reins, restrains, binds, chains, halters, leashes, tethers, ties, arrests, brakes, delays, retains, retards, barricades, blockades, blocks, roadblocks, bogs (down), mires, chokes, smothers, stifles, strangles, suffocates, baffles, foils, frustrates, stumps, thwarts, derails, disrupts, sabotages, muzzles, represses, suppresses, confines, hedges (in), hems (in)
    opposite: aids, assists, facilitates, helps
    near: clears, makes way, opens, unclogs, unplugs, unstops, frees, liberates, releases, unties, loosens, smooths, encourages, furthers, promotes

Related Entry: Cramping one's style (phrase)

Cramping one's style is a different word from Style. The synonyms below are for cramping one's style, not for style.

  1. to create difficulty for the work or activity of

    "His little brother was always cramping his style when he wanted to hang out with his friends."

    similar: clogging, cramping, embarrassing, encumbering, fettering, hampering, handcuffing, handicapping, hindering, hobbling, hog-tying, holding back, holding up, impeding, inhibiting, interfering (with), manacling, obstructing, shackling, short-circuiting, stymieing, trammeling, tying up, giving a hard time
    related: balking, checking, constraining, curbing, reining, restraining, binding, chaining, haltering, leashing, tethering, tying, arresting, braking, delaying, retaining, retarding, barricading, blockading, blocking, roadblocking, bogging (down), miring, choking, smothering, stifling, strangling, suffocating, baffling, foiling, frustrating, stumping, thwarting, derailing, disrupting, sabotaging, muzzling, repressing, suppressing, confining, hedging (in), hemming (in)
    opposite: aiding, assisting, facilitating, helping
    near: clearing, making way, opening, unclogging, unplugging, unstopping, freeing, liberating, releasing, untying, loosening, smoothing, encouraging, furthering, promoting

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Style

The most common words with a similar meaning to Style:

Archaic: clepe
fashion, locution, manner, mode, phraseology, tone, vein, approach, form, how, method, methodology, recipe, strategy, system, tack, tactics, technique, way, buzz, chic, craze, dernier cri, enthusiasm, fad, flavor, go, hot ticket, last word, latest, rage, sensation, ton, trend, vogue, baptize, call, christen, denominate, designate

Related Words for Style

address, delivery, elocution, colloquialism, regionalism, acceptation, connotation, denotation, expression, idiom, modus operandi, blueprint, design, game, game plan, ground plan, intrigue, layout, line, model, plan, plot, program, route, scheme, expedient, move, shift, step, practice

Near Antonyms of Style

classic, standard

Word Forms of Style

Inflections: styled, styling, styles

Derived words: styleless (adjective), stylelessness (noun), styler (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Style

Middle English stile, style, from Latin stilus spike, stem, stylus, style of writing; perhaps akin to Latin instigare to goad stick

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Style

Words & Phrases Containing Style

-style, cafeteria-style, counter-style, family style, high style, International Style, New Style, old style

Frequently Asked Questions about Style

What does "Style" mean?

"Style" means a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: a particular manner or technique by which something is done, created, or performed. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Style"?

Other words for "Style" include fashion, locution, manner, mode, phraseology, tone, vein and approach. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Style" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Style"?

There are 115 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Style". Common alternatives include fashion, locution, manner, mode, phraseology, tone, vein, approach, form and how.

How do you use "Style" in a sentence?

Examples of "Style" in a sentence: "I correctly identified the quotation because I recognized Mark Twain's inimitable style"; "unfortunately, the club president's usual style is to make decisions without asking anyone's advice or approval"; "parents who were very relieved when the style for having one's nose pierced faded".

Is "Style" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Style" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Style" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Style" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Style"?

"Style" is pronounced /ˈstī(-ə)l/.

What is the origin of the word "Style"?

"Style" comes from Middle English stile, style, from Latin stilus spike, stem, stylus, style of writing; perhaps akin to Latin instigare to goad stick. First known use: 14th century.