Definition of GAUDY

Other Words from gaudy

Adjective

gaudily \ ˈgȯ-də-lē

, ˈgä- \ adverb

gaudiness \ ˈgȯ-dē-nəs

, ˈgä- \ noun

Choose the Right Synonym for gaudy

Adjective

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 gaudy in a Sentence

Adjective

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Despite losing four of nine games here last season, the Cardinals have made themselves at home since Miller Park opened in 2001, going 87-54, a gaudy .617 winning percentage. — Tom Haudricourt, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Haudricourt: Cardinals have knack for spoiling Brewers' parties, so chalk up another one," 2 Apr. 2018 Gray still owns the part of Persephone, this time in a gaudy green dress that, as reported, is meant to conjure up Texas oil wealth. — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, "Hadestown, Anaïs Mitchell’s Musical Where Work Is Hell, Makes It to the Big Time," 19 Apr. 2019 The gloriously gaudy cinema palaces of our youth have closed their crimson curtains for good, and the humid fug of cigarette smoke and popcorn has been replaced by a dispiritingly acrid, all-over guilty smell. — John Banville, WSJ, "‘Sleeping With Strangers’ Review: Flickers of Desire," 22 Feb. 2019 In 2016, America elected a president known for his gaudy taste (diamond-and-gold furnishings, etc.) to replace unfussy Obama. — Eliza Brooke, Vox, "How the Great Recession influenced a decade of design," 27 Dec. 2018 At the same time, gaudy silk shirts from Versace and Gucci are staging a comeback, as is just about anything in leopard print. — Jacob Gallagher, WSJ, "Why Are Male Celebrities Dressing Like Such Slobs?," 27 Aug. 2018 One automaker tops the others by packing the gaudiest performance number into an engine, and remains king of the hill until an ever more outrageous car comes along. — Roy Berendsohn, Popular Mechanics, "Ridgid's New Hammer Drill-Driver Is an Escalation of the Power Tools Torque War," 13 Nov. 2018 Each shade is softly iridescent, rather than gaudy glittery, and also silky-sheer, meaning even the palest of skin tones can swipe on the deep berry hue without looking like a clown. — Chloe Metzger, Marie Claire, "The 5 Truly Excellent Beauty Products I'm Loving This Week," 24 Oct. 2018 A decade later, black and non-black working-class people around the country could be seen donning an ensemble perceived by the white middle-class as gaudy, even offensive. — Mariana Gonzalez, Teen Vogue, "How the Zoot Suit Became a Symbol of Resistance for Mexican-American People," 21 Sep. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Cultural theorist Susan Sontag viewed camp as an indescribable ephemera that often involved the gaudy, the glitzy, and the unexpected. — Vogue, "This Summer, Go Full Mermaid With a Campy Seashell Motif," 29 Apr. 2019 The place—decked out in swaths of gold, red, and purple—is a little gaudy, but that's how the locals like it. — Janice Leung Hayes, Condé Nast Traveler, "19 Best Dim Sum Spots in Hong Kong," 5 Mar. 2018 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

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.