Choose the Right Synonym for 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

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 on the Web Late season: bottle gentian, Gentiana andrewsii; showy goldenrod, Solidago speciosa (superfood); New England aster, Aster novae-angliae (superfood); white turtlehead, Chelone glabra (immune builder). — Jennifer Rude Klett, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 13 Apr. 2022 The foliage has fern-like leaves and the flowers are showy blooms with spur protrusions at the bottom. — Arkansas Online, 28 Mar. 2022 Once this statement-making plant produces its showy pink blooms, the foliage will slowly decline. — Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 Feb. 2022 Tall, showy, colorful blooms like red amaryllis make a similar festive statement. — Christine Lennon, Sunset Magazine, 3 Dec. 2021 The pizza from La Crosta is not overly dressed or showy; the toppings not extravagant. — Jenn Harriscolumnist, Los Angeles Times, 31 May 2022 These dishes are weeknight dinner champions, from a showy asparagus frittata to our simplest roasted asparagus. — Mehreen Karim, Bon Appétit, 27 May 2022 Begonias come in a staggering array of colors and types, and some are grown strictly for their showy foliage. — Arricca Elin Sansone, House Beautiful, 26 May 2022 Young lyricists are routinely warned against showy rhymes. — Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 23 May 2022 See More

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.

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