garish

1 of 2

adjective

gar·​ish ˈger-ish 

1

: clothed in vivid colors

a garish clown

2

a

: excessively or disturbingly vivid

garish colors

garish imagery

b

: offensively or distressingly bright : glaring

3

: tastelessly showy : flashy

garish neon signs

garishly adverb

garishness noun

garishness

2 of 2

noun

gar·​ish·​ness

plural -es

: the quality or state of being garish

Synonyms of garish

Adjective

• loud
• noisy
• gaudy

Choose the Right Synonym for garish

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 garish in a Sentence

Adjective

the wedding guest's thick makeup was garish and unnecessary

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

While a Daiquiri is snappy, the Daisy de Santiago is garish. —Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 6 June 2026

Her music owned up to being horny, garish, and superficial, but could scan as thin or cheap when held up to other kinds of ethical or political scrutiny. —Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026

The film charts how Suzuki redefined postwar Japanese cinema by defying the conventions of the studio system, forging a style built on garish pop-art imagery and aggressive formal experimentation. —Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 20 May 2026

Firstman’s debut directorial effort, Club Kid, shrewdly acknowledges those garish personality tics, which have both endeared and repulsed audiences. —Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 15 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

origin unknown

First Known Use

Adjective

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for garish

• bearish
• cherish
• farish
• perish
• squarish
• nightmarish

Kids Definition

garish

adjective

gar·​ish ˈga(ə)r-ish 

ˈge(ə)r-

: too bright or showy : gaudy

garishly adverb

garishness noun