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

This compact grower produces large and wildly impressive blooms with double flowers (each flower has more than 20 showy sepals rather than the typical four!) that start out white and fade gradually to deep pink.

— paul cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "Queen of the summer. Why your garden needs an oakleaf hydrangea," 14 July 2017
Showy milkweed defends itself from wild grazers by secreting a sticky latex when leaves are broken, and is also poisonous to many animals.

— david caraccio, sacbee, "Monarchs, bees and other insects take over Yosemite milkweed fields," 13 July 2017
A few notables: Christ’s paintbrush, a showy yellow flower that only blooms on the summit of Mount Harrison in the upper elevations of the Albion Mountains in Cassia County.

— anna webb, idahostatesman, "It’s not too late. Higher elevations in Idaho still offer a wildflower show," 10 July 2017
The pitcher plant's showy flowers are held aloft like balled flags, facing down from tall stems.

— the washington post, NOLA.com, "These stunning plants all have one thing in common: A taste for blood," 3 July 2017
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

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