flashy

adjective

ˈfla-shē 

flashier; flashiest

1

: momentarily dazzling

2

a

: superficially attractive or impressive

… moving beyond the glitz and pizzazz of the flashy technology to teach true literacy …

—Barbara Jones-Kavalier and Suzanne Flannigan

b

: ostentatious or showy often beyond the bounds of good taste

driving around in flashy cars

especially : marked by gaudy brightness

flashy colors

3

chiefly dialectal : lacking in substance or flavor : insipid

flashily

ˈfla-shə-lē 

adverb

flashiness

ˈfla-shē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of flashy

• stylish
• snazzy
• fashionable
• splashy
• neat
• jazzy
• chic
• loud
• cool
• fresh
• custom
• designer

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

There were offensive fireworks, comebacks galore, flashy debuts and plenty more on the first Sunday of the NFL season. — Jayna Bardahl, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Tesla’s flashy unveiling of its Cybercab robotaxi in 2024 left some glaring questions unanswered. — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026

Last year, Apple went bold with its colors for the iPhone 17 Pro, offering a flashy orange, a shiny silver, and a dark blue. — Stevie Bonifield, The Verge, 9 Sep. 2026

Boston Dynamics was once best known for its viral videos of robots doing cool tricks, but that space has been taken over by Chinese humanoids and their flashy dance moves. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 9 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 3

Rhymes for flashy

• ashy
• trashy

Kids Definition

flashy

adjective

ˈflash-ē 

flashier; flashiest

: gaudy

flashily

ˈflash-ə-lē 

adverb

flashiness

ˈflash-ē-nəs 

noun