flam·boy·ant
flam-ˈbȯi-ənt 
1
: marked by or given to strikingly elaborate or colorful display or behavior
a flamboyant performer
2
often capitalized
: characterized by waving curves suggesting flames
flamboyant tracery
flamboyant architecture
flamboyantly
adverb
Did you know?
Flamboyant, which was borrowed into English from French in the 19th century, can be traced back to Old French flambe, meaning "flame." In its earliest uses flamboyant referred to a style of architecture, often in the florid French Gothic style, which featured waving curves that suggested flames. Eventually, the word developed a more general second sense for anything eye-catching or showy. And of course, Old French flambe is also the origin of the English adjective flambé.
Examples of flamboyant in a Sentence
Adjective
Crazy artists, or flamboyant ones, can be strangely comforting. We feel we understand where their visions come from; we're lulled by the symmetry of turbulent art and turbulent lives.
—
Stephen Schiff, New Yorker, 28 Dec. 1992–4 Jan. 1993
Equally flamboyant is the group's singer, Andy Bell, who prances around the stage dressed at various times like an astronaut, a space creature or a Mexican senorita.
—Jim Farber, Video Review, August 1990
… he was living in the flamboyant, urbane manner he craved, in an apartment that suited his Balzacian fantasies of success …
—Raymond Sokolov, Wayward Reporter, 1980
the flamboyant gestures of the conductor
has a gallery of flamboyant gestures that makes him easy to imitate
Stephen Schiff, New Yorker, 28 Dec. 1992–4 Jan. 1993
Equally flamboyant is the group's singer, Andy Bell, who prances around the stage dressed at various times like an astronaut, a space creature or a Mexican senorita.
—Jim Farber, Video Review, August 1990
… he was living in the flamboyant, urbane manner he craved, in an apartment that suited his Balzacian fantasies of success …
—Raymond Sokolov, Wayward Reporter, 1980
the flamboyant gestures of the conductor
has a gallery of flamboyant gestures that makes him easy to imitate
Recent Examples on the Web
Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Told through new interviews with all four members, the film traces the band’s meteoric rise during the first half of the ‘80s propelled by George’s flamboyant look and persona.
—David Chiu, People.com, 12 June 2025
The royal quarters — including the precious Malachite Room and Maximillian’s flamboyant bedroom — are included in castle tours.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 2025
Sly and the Family Stone were known for wearing flamboyant stage attire, as well as their adventurous blend of funk, R&B, soul, and Motown arrangements.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flamboyant
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Adjective
Nationalists pinned their hopes on a flamboyant local investor with a taste for tall buildings: Donald Trump.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 16 June 2025
Told through new interviews with all four members, the film traces the band’s meteoric rise during the first half of the ‘80s propelled by George’s flamboyant look and persona.
—David Chiu, People.com, 12 June 2025
The royal quarters — including the precious Malachite Room and Maximillian’s flamboyant bedroom — are included in castle tours.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 2025
Sly and the Family Stone were known for wearing flamboyant stage attire, as well as their adventurous blend of funk, R&B, soul, and Motown arrangements.
—Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flamboyant
Cite this Entry
“Flamboyant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flamboyant. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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