Definition of FLAMBOYANTS

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Adjective

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. As you have no doubt guessed, 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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Both actors are at peak form here, with Coogan clearly having a blast as the flamboyant Erasmus and Rudd employing his expert deadpan delivery and gift for comic timing as the slow-burning Paul. — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Ideal Home': Film Review," 27 June 2018 Maddon’s man-crush on Namath dates to the late 1960s and early ’70s, when Namath led the Jets to a stunning upset of the Colts in Super Bowl III while living a flamboyant bachelor lifestyle. — Mark Gonzales, chicagotribune.com, "Cubs' Joe Maddon smitten by visit from childhood idol Joe Namath," 6 June 2018 Now this is the time to go all-out—no holds barred, over-the-top, anything goes flamboyant. — Divya Bala, Harper's BAZAAR, "5 Outfit Ideas to Slay Every Holiday Party," 30 Nov. 2018 Musk very clearly isn’t that; his flamboyant style and tendency to shoot from the hip is more in line with the crop of entrepreneurs that Silicon Valley spit out in the 1990s: the Boy Kings. — Elizabeth Lopatto, The Verge, "Tesla is what happens when you run a car company like a tech company," 2 Nov. 2018 That alleged description has many worried that the character could be played as a stereotypical over-the-top flamboyant gay man, rather than as a member of the LGBTQ community with deeper, more nuanced qualities. — Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, "Disney Criticized for Reportedly Casting a Straight Man in Its First Openly Gay Major Role," 13 Aug. 2018 Johnson, who has cut a flamboyant figure in British politics for decades, served as one of the loudest — and most misleading — voices advocating for Brexit before the referendum. — Benjamin Hart, Daily Intelligencer, "Boris Johnson Quits U.K. Government in Blow to Brexit, Theresa May," 9 July 2018 On the show, Natalia, 37, has wowed judges with her glittering costumes and flamboyant character, recently winning two out of three challenges in a single week. — NBC News, "Thai drag queens hope new TV show brings LGBTQ acceptance," 26 Mar. 2018 In 1978 that explosive creativity was curtailed by the death of the flamboyant but troubled Moon, age just 32, from an overdose of prescription pills. — Tony Fletcher, WSJ, "‘Thanks a Lot, Mr. Kibblewhite’ Review: The Hardest-Working Man in Rock," 14 Dec. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'flamboyant.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.