German word

Putz

Pronunciation

IPA/pʊt͡s/

Meaning

  • masculine noungrooming

Example

Sein Putz wirkt gepflegt.

He looks well-groomed.

Illustration for Putz (grooming)

More examples

Bei Partys haut er oft auf den Putz.

At parties, he often dresses up extravagantly.

Core concept

A person's polished appearance and a wall's finished outer coating belong to the same idea of visible surface care.

Common phrases

  • guter Putz

    good grooming

  • auf den Putz hauen

    dress up extravagantly

  • Putz und Protz

    finery and ostentation

Similar words

Aussehen: The visible look of a person, especially the face and general features.
Kleidung: The clothing worn and how its pieces are combined.
Auftreten: A person's public manner, bearing, and behavior.
Erscheinungsbild: The way a person or building appears as a whole.

Definition in German

Die äußere Gestaltung oder Verzierung, mit der jemand oder etwas gepflegt und geschmückt wirkt.

Word origin

The noun Putz derives from putzen and came to denote both personal adornment and the finishing material applied to building surfaces.

Usage tips

  • Compounds help identify the sense: Frühjahrsputz refers to cleaning, while Außenputz refers to exterior plaster.

Other meanings

  • plasternoun
  • cleaningnoun
  • finerynoun

Opposites

  • Schludrigkeitsloppinessnoun
  • Vernachlässigungneglectnoun

Related words

  • Verputzplasternoun
  • Putzmittelcleaning suppliesnoun
  • Putzfraucleaning ladynoun

Word lists with this word