Definition of popinjay in English:

noun

• 1dated A vain or conceited person, especially one who dresses or behaves extravagantly.

  Example sentences

  • ‘Preening popinjays, in love with the sound of their voice and the rightness of their opinions, how I hate them all.’
  • ‘The Premiership has produced a marvellous cast of popinjays and prima-donnas.’
  • ‘I am pretty sure I'm a drink-soaked popinjay myself, and formerly many things of a disreputable nature.’
  • ‘Gillray so lovingly renders the popinjay, and we laugh so deeply at his pretensions, that the savagery of the social criticism, though devastating, is somewhat mitigated.’
  • ‘It is an oft-told story, but can still stir anger and pity, with the family feuding of the aristocratic popinjays commanding the brigade even spilling over onto the battlefield.’
  • ‘These weedy fly-bitten popinjays, these pribbling clumsy clay-brained miscreants - how dare they think they can share the same job title as me?’

  Synonyms

  dandy, beau, poseur, glamour boy, man about town, bright young thing, rake

  View synonyms

• 2archaic A parrot.

  Example sentences

  • ‘Coloring inside the lines is for popinjays and cockatoos!’