Definition of SHOWY

Examples of showy in a Sentence

Perhaps you should wear something a little less showy.
orchid plants are known for their huge showy flowers

Recent Examples of showy from the Web

Soaring Spirits was named to honor the victims of 9/11 and is an outstanding, large-flowered 10-to-12-foot climbing rose with huge clusters of showy swirls and stripes in pastel pink, yellow and cream hues.

— rita perwich, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Roses for the Fourth: red, white ... and striped!", 30 June 2017
In the finale, Sasha gave the showier performance than Peppermint, another New York queen.

— hal boedeker, OrlandoSentinel.com, "'RuPaul's Drag Race': Who won?", 23 June 2017
Their early summer bloom is big and showy, velvety and purple.

— anna webb, idahostatesman, "Milkweed, cacti, foul-smelling voodoo lilies: Visit a small — but intense — Boise garden", 23 June 2017
The beauty of Shameik Moore's outfit, apart from walking the line between showy and classic, is that it can be assembled on a budget and not look cheap.

— megan gustashaw, GQ, "Shameik Moore’s Easy Outfit is Style Gold", 22 June 2017
Louise Fletcher has a showy part as a crotchety chain-smoker and Christopher Walken stands out in another central role.

— seattle times staff, The Seattle Times, "SIFF 2017: Highlights of the film festival’s third week", 31 May 2017
Many of the showiest flowers grow in meadows, Holstein said.

— debbie arrington, sacbee, "Spectacular Sierra wildflowers will bloom through August. Here’s where to find them", 28 May 2017
Less showy interactions between political couples may be more telling.

— krissah thompson, Washington Post, "The Trumps take their first official trip, and the world gets its first real look at the Trump marriage", 26 May 2017
Essentially, the body slam is a more emphatic and showy version of the scoop slam.

— troy l. smith, cleveland.com, "A brief history of the Body Slam -- politics' new go-to move", 25 May 2017

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

First Known Use of showy

1709

showy Synonyms

Synonym Discussion of showy

showy, pretentious, ostentatious mean given to excessive outward display. showy implies an imposing or striking appearance but usually suggests cheapness or poor taste. the performers' showy costumes pretentious implies an appearance of importance not justified by the thing's value or the person's standing. a pretentious parade of hard words ostentatious stresses vainglorious display or parade. the ostentatious summer homes of the rich