gaudy

adjective gau·dy \ ˈgȯ-dē , ˈgä- \

|Updated on: 14 Aug 2018

Tip: Synonym Guide

Examples: gaudy in a Sentence

Definition of gaudy

gaudier; gaudiest

1 : ostentatiously or tastelessly ornamented

gaudy costumes

2 : marked by extravagance or sometimes tasteless showiness : outlandish

gaudy lies

gaudy claims

; also : exceptional

a gaudy batting average

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gaudily

play \ˈgȯ-də-lē, ˈgä-\ adverb

—

gaudiness

play \ˈgȯ-dē-nəs, ˈgä-\ noun

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Examples of gaudy in a Sentence

The showgirls wore gaudy costumes.
They bought the house for a gaudy sum.

Recent Examples of gaudy from the Web

Nothing, however, seemed over-the-top to Toms, nothing overly bright or gaudy.

— david usborne, Town & Country, "The Mysterious Case of the Parnham House Fire," 29 May 2018
To be sure, Trump’s redesign of Air Force One likely would be gaudy and embarrassing.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Trump is right to reject Air Force One nostalgia.," 12 July 2018
Washington’s McPherson Square on a lovely Saturday, where past and present met as filmmakers re-created the gaudy 1980s while the weird reality of 2018 hovered just out of frame.

— michael e. ruane, Washington Post, "Fantasy and reality clash as movie makers film Wonder Woman in D.C.," 7 July 2018
Born in Uzbekistan and raised in Queens, New York, from the age of 14, Arabo came to be omnipresent in the gaudy world of ‘90s and early-aughts hip-hop, having his name dropped in dozens of rap songs.

— cam wolf, GQ, "James Harden Owns the Iciest Watch You've Ever Seen," 30 Apr. 2018
The figure at the San Miguel de Estella church in the northern Navarra province was recently repainted in gaudy colors by a local craftsman, instead of being properly cleaned by a professional conservationist.

— kathleen joyce, Fox News, "Spanish conservationists outraged following botched restoration of 16th-century artwork," 27 June 2018
Here, cinematographer Mahmoud Kalari switches to the gaudy, unreal colors of stage costumes and the overblown, Felliniesque interiors designed by Amir Hossein Ghodsi.

— deborah young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'Pig' ('Khook'): Film Review | Berlin 2018," 21 Feb. 2018
In 2018, the most expensive stud fees produce some pretty gaudy numbers.

— nihal kolur, SI.com, "What are the Highest Stud Fees for Horses?," 9 June 2018
In a mid-1980s series on the Barcelona Cathedral in Spain, the building is barely recognizable in shimmery outline and gaudy colors.

— neil genzlinger, New York Times, "Malcolm Morley, Genre-Crossing Artist, Is Dead at 86," 7 June 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of gaudy

gaud + ¹-y

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1582

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

gaudy Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of gaudy

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

gaudy

noun

Definition of gaudy

plural gaudies

: a feast or entertainment especially in the form of an annual college dinner at a British university

Recent Examples of gaudy from the Web

During the joint press conference with Raúl Castro, there wasn’t a gaudy row of 12 overlapping American and Cuban flags as a backdrop, as there was at the greeting with Kim at the Capella Hotel.

— fabiola santiago, miamiherald, "The Trump-Rubio politics of hypocrisy: Cuba, no deal. North Korea? ‘Has great beaches.’," 12 June 2018
By all accounts, the concert itself was a gaudy, elaborate affair, with venue owner Bill Graham orchestrating a gargantuan white-tie Thanksgiving dinner for 5,000 attendees, while actual ballroom dancers waltzed throughout.

— morgan enos, Billboard, "'The Last Waltz' Soundtrack 40th Anniversary: 5 Noteworthy Performances From the Concert," 7 Apr. 2018
The elegant granite structure, whose architectural character Trump had promised to preserve, was now besmirched by a gaudy, faux-gold sign bearing his name.

— nick tabor, Daily Intelligencer, "501 Days in Swampland," 1 Apr. 2018
As a rookie, Matsuzaka went 15-12 with 201 strikeouts but a gaudy 4.40 ERA (108 ERA+), still good for 4.1 WAR.

— jay jaffe, SI.com, "Ranking the Best Rookie Seasons Among Japanese Players to Join MLB," 9 Dec. 2017
Kyrie Irving dropped 30 to lead the Celtics, and some of his play down the stretch was gaudy as well.

— dakota crawford, Indianapolis Star, "Celtics on Bogdanovic's gaffe: 'Lucky for us, he didn't want any part of the ball'," 18 Dec. 2017
Cinderella’s stepmother and stepsisters are dressed in gaudy, poofy dresses that complement the obnoxiousness of their characters.

— Orange County Register, "Corona del Mar offers an enchanting ‘Into the Woods’," 7 Apr. 2017
Rip Taylor Only in Chuck Barris' twisted ecosystem could a gaudy, confetti-throwing Rip Taylor have flourished.

— dave holmes, Esquire, "6 Things We Wouldn't Have If Not For Chuck Barris," 22 Mar. 2017
To someone for whom Miami is the gaudy, palm-tree-and-Art-Deco opulence of South Beach, the poverty of the Liberty City neighborhood, and its Liberty Square public housing projects, would be jarring.

— nikole hannah-jones, New York Times, "From Bittersweet Childhoods to ‘Moonlight’," 4 Jan. 2017