1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

bedaubed 1 of 2

adjective

as in gaudy

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

bedaubed

2 of 2

verb

past tense of bedaub
as in smeared
to rub an oily or sticky substance over the toddler delightedly bedaubed herself with her mother's makeup

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for bedaubed
  1. gaudy
  2. smeared
  3. garish
  4. painted
  5. showy
  6. coated
  7. tawdry
  8. swank
Adjective
  • Though his numbers aren't gaudy with only three career regular-season interceptions and one in the postseason, Gonzalez is a critical piece of the New England defense.
    — Matt Schooley, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Investors, though, decided those gaudy numbers weren’t enough.
    — Nicholas Gordon, Fortune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of gaudy
Verb
  • The bombshell discovery in the little red dot spectra was that the colors of hydrogen were smeared out across multiple shades.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Aware of them now, the dog shakes loose the can—his forelock matted, his jowl smeared with beans—and shrinks into the trees with a whimper that makes something tighten in Molly’s own chest.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of smeared
Adjective
  • And, as if that wasn’t enough, Target’s promotional ads featured a Black boy modeling the garish get-up.
    — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Steps away, other Israeli activists fashion animals out of balloons, while a couple in garish wigs and clown makeup wildly wave their arms in a routine that prompts roars of laughter.
    — Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of garish
Verb
  • The building's pine ceilings were in disrepair and its brick walls were damaged, poorly painted, or defaced with graffiti.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Ahead of the center’s ribbon-cutting, CEO and President Kara Waddell painted a picture of a student-parent showing up for their first day of school while carrying their school supplies and their child.
    — Lina Ruiz September 4, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of painted
Adjective
  • Tall sedums, like ‘Autumn Joy,’ are famed for their big and showy flowers, which dry beautifully and linger on the plant through winter.
    — Lauren Landers, The Spruce, 7 Sep. 2026
  • The two actors are close; Rockwell, with the less showy supporting role, is generous to a fault with his 72-year-old co-star, who runs with the ball and could win the Best Actor Oscar.
    — Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of showy
Verb
  • In these pieces, which are coated in a palette of bright reds, dusky purples, black, and burl, their provenance becomes even murkier.
    — Jill Singer, Curbed, 14 Sep. 2026
  • It’s coated with Kynar 500, a durable, commercial-grade paint coating that holds up outdoors against sun, rain, and temperature swings without chipping or fading.
    — Lauren Murphy, Better Homes & Gardens, 12 Sep. 2026
Definition of coated
Adjective
  • So graceful and powerful, without feeling tawdry.
    — Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 22 June 2026
  • Chicago stories, books about music or celebrities, history lessons, or tawdry, trashy novels that are secretly good?
    — Kayla Samoy, Chicago Tribune, 3 June 2026
Definition of tawdry
Adjective
  • Stepping into the venue felt more like entering a swanky cocktail lounge, with bar snacks and cocktails at the ready.
    — Anna Grace Lee, Vogue, 17 Sep. 2026
  • This beachy district of Morocco’s capital city, is now home to a swanky Four Seasons, but is still full of independent businesses and local culture.
    — Gage Goulding, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of swank
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.

Browse Nearby Words

bedaub
bedaubed
bedaubing
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Bedaubed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bedaubed. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All