flashier; flashiest
1
chiefly dialectal : lacking in substance or flavor : insipid
2
: momentarily dazzling
3
a
: superficially attractive or impressive
b
: ostentatious or showy often beyond the bounds of good taste
especially : marked by gaudy brightness
flashily adverb
flashiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for flashy

gaudy, tawdry, garish, flashy, meretricious mean vulgarly or cheaply showy.

gaudy implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation.

circus performers in gaudy costumes

tawdry applies to what is at once gaudy and cheap and sleazy.

tawdry saloons

garish describes what is distressingly or offensively bright.

garish neon signs

flashy implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar.

a flashy nightclub act

meretricious stresses falsity and may describe a tawdry show that beckons with a false allure or promise.

a meretricious wasteland of casinos and bars

Examples of flashy in a Sentence

rich young men who drive flashy cars I bought the CD primarily for its flashy cover design.
Recent Examples on the Web While its interior design is less flashy than rivals from Ferrari and Lamborghini, the aesthetic is pleasing, and outward visibility is excellent. Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 6 Jan. 2023 If McCarthy falls shorts, that hands leverage to people are every bit as extreme as Greene, though slightly less flashy about it—Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, and Matt Gaetz. Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 3 Jan. 2023 This multi-colored high-low skirt will level up your style game and adds interest without being overly flashy. Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 28 Dec. 2022 Grassetti explains that the biggest difference between designing Greek and Norse gods is that, historically, the latter were not nearly as flashy. George Yang, Variety, 11 Nov. 2022 Duggan's first-half stats weren't flashy (7 of 16 for 89 yards, one TD, one interception; eight carries, 30 yards, one TD), but his poise and grit and timing were crucial in staking the Frogs a 21-3 lead. Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 2 Jan. 2023 While the utensils, pots, and pans aren't flashy, they're designed to be durable and lightweight; plus, the set is a whopping $90 off right now. Toni Sutton, Peoplemag, 29 Dec. 2022 Chef books are flashy and make great coffee table books, but the way restaurants conceive and execute dishes is anathema to home cooking. Melissa Clark, Dallas News, 20 Dec. 2022 Even though the stage was slightly different with Kenny Pickett under center, instead of Mitchell Trubisky, the Bengals still kept the Steelers’ rookie quarterback from being flashy in the second half of Cincinnati’s 37-30 road victory. Mohammad Ahmad, cleveland, 20 Nov. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flashy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flashy was in 1593

Dictionary Entries Near flashy

Cite this Entry

“Flashy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flashy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

flashy

adjective
flashier; flashiest
: gaudy
flashily adverb
flashiness noun

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