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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The news coincided with a two-hour flashy orange countdown on Swift’s website. Bryan West, USA Today, 17 Sep. 2025 The Garmin Bounce 2’s predecessor had a less flashy LCD screen. Andrew Williams, Forbes.com, 17 Sep. 2025 Beyond a glassy, bubbly new design, the update’s flashiest new features also include new Apple Intelligence AI integration that varies in usefulness, from fluffy new Genmoji abilities to a nifty live translation feature for Phones, Messages, and FaceTime. ArsTechnica, 17 Sep. 2025 The Hollywood icon stormed the Dancing With the Stars ballroom during the season 34 premiere with a flashy tango alongside partner Jenna Johnson. Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 17 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flashy

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of flashy was in 1593

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flashy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flashy. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

flashy

adjective
flashier; flashiest
: gaudy
flashily adverb
flashiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on flashy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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