Definition of ostentatiousnext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word ostentatious different from other adjectives like it?

The words pretentious and showy are common synonyms of ostentatious. While all three words mean "given to excessive outward display," ostentatious stresses vainglorious display or parade.

the ostentatious summer homes of the rich

When is it sensible to use pretentious instead of ostentatious?

The synonyms pretentious and ostentatious are sometimes interchangeable, but pretentious implies an appearance of importance not justified by the thing's value or the person's standing.

a pretentious parade of hard words

When could showy be used to replace ostentatious?

The words showy and ostentatious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, showy implies an imposing or striking appearance but usually suggests cheapness or poor taste.

the performers' showy costumes

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of ostentatious The guests here are affluent but not ostentatious; their demeanor and dress are relaxed. Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Feb. 2026 The show’s beating heart is Cumming, who peacocks across the Scottish Highlands in ostentatious costumes while delivering one game show twist after the next. Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026 Dell is not trying to be ostentatious. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026 Besides, $500 gets you a pretty decent phone these days — without ostentatious gold and a close affiliation with a president who has a decades-long track record of launching and sinking well over a dozen businesses. Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 7 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ostentatious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostentatious
Adjective
  • After a steal and dunk by Reed put UConn back up by six, Huskies coach Dan Hurley began waving his arms wildly at the fans behind his bench, exhorting them to be louder.
    CBS News, CBS News, 28 Mar. 2026
  • In order to make sure horses keep their cool among loud, unpredictable crowds, officers do desensitization training with speakers, sirens, inflatable tube men, kazoos, fireworks, flags and all manner of annoyances.
    AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 27 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The rabbi is ornery, arrogant, sometimes cruel.
    Daniel Felsenthal, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.
    David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • In choosing to abstain from noisy pedal effects and clanging cymbals, Landowner whip up far more entrancing patterns that thrive in the tidiness.
    Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 24 Mar. 2026
  • The system also remained stable when trained on limited or noisy datasets.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • His grandiose persona rubbed many the wrong way early on, earning him a villain label.
    Pamela Chelin, Los Angeles Times, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Thanks to his many grandiose inheritances, Charles ruled over territory that today comprises Austria, much of northern Italy, the Low Countries, and Spain.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The coin, which breaks with the country’s longstanding tradition of not featuring a living person on its currency, joins a swiftly growing list of other Trumpian imprints on arts and culture, including architectural choices deemed gaudy and garish by experts and laypeople alike.
    Arts Editor, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The Racers live up to their name with fast pace and gaudy point totals.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The service Finessed but friendly, high touch but never pretentious.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Dim lights, a chic elegant interior, a chatty and trendy crowd, a menu that’s sophisticated but not too pretentious, and a welcoming bar (plus a little je ne sais quoi) are to be expected.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Located above the Pirates of the Caribbean ride in New Orleans Square, 21 Royal Street was used variously over the years as an exhibit and gallery space and since 2017 has been the location of an extravagant private dining experience.
    Marla Jo Fisher, Oc Register, 26 Mar. 2026
  • There is no shortage of extravagant beachfront villas in the Caribbean, but this one distinguishes itself by combining the best of neo-classical design with a touch of whimsy.
    Tori Latham, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • And the less said of the poorly mixed, pompous Machina, the better.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026
  • The pompous clergyman enters the life of the Bennet family, his distant cousins, with the assumption that, given his respectable position and benefactor, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, one of those daughters would be happy to marry him.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ostentatious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostentatious. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.

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