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Definition of flashinessnext

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective flashy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of flashy are garish, gaudy, meretricious, and tawdry. While all these words mean "vulgarly or cheaply showy," flashy implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar.

a flashy nightclub act

When can garish be used instead of flashy?

Although the words garish and flashy have much in common, garish describes what is distressingly or offensively bright.

garish neon signs

When is it sensible to use gaudy instead of flashy?

The meanings of gaudy and flashy largely overlap; however, gaudy implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation.

circus performers in gaudy costumes

When might meretricious be a better fit than flashy?

The synonyms meretricious and flashy are sometimes interchangeable, but meretricious stresses falsity and may describe a tawdry show that beckons with a false allure or promise.

a meretricious wasteland of casinos and bars

When would tawdry be a good substitute for flashy?

In some situations, the words tawdry and flashy are roughly equivalent. However, tawdry applies to what is at once gaudy and cheap and sleazy.

tawdry saloons

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 flashiness
Noun
The entertainment rooms can serve as places to enjoy cocktails and billiards (both villas feature Steinway & Sons grand pianos), the dining rooms feel cinematic without being too formal, and the bedroom suites favor comfort rather than flashiness. David Morris, Travel + Leisure, 15 Jan. 2026 Leopard, cheetah, and even zebra recall an era shaped by the flashiness of Christina Aguilera and Paris Hilton. Malia Griggs, Glamour, 20 Dec. 2025
Adjective
This second season is briskly paced and captivatingly animated, and more time spent with characters like Jubilee, Nightcrawler, and Polaris broadens the series’ ensemble (and allows for flashier fight sequences, thanks to their power sets). Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026 The internet offers myriad new ways to risk your nest egg, as do all those flashy new casinos. Stephen J. K. Walters, Baltimore Sun, 12 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flashiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flashiness
Noun
  • Gloria is a user, a poseur extraordinaire; her fluttery flamboyance, rooted in insecurity, summons another Gloria, the one from Sunset Blvd.
    Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 7 Aug. 2026
  • And there was Erling Haaland living his best Norwegian life, terrifying on the pitch and absurd off it, multiplying his stardom with a flamboyance and humor that didn’t detract from his serious talent.
    Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Noun
  • The packaging and philosophy emphasize sustainability and collectibility without ostentation, aligning with a growing desire for thoughtful luxury.
    Tanya Akim, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
  • While Vico has been careful to avoid any kind of ostentation, Argentaia offers a spa, a tennis court, a stunning 100-foot saltwater infinity pool overlooking the valley, and a movie theater.
    Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 22 May 2026
Noun
  • The progression of clothing seen in each section is meant to reflect the state of the world before, during and after the crash, a transition from glitz and glam to practical silhouettes meant for labor.
    Amina Ayoud, Footwear News, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Behind the glitz of Michael Jackson’s larger-than-life world, Paris Jackson said her father enforced a strict rule to protect his children’s sense of normalcy.
    Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Built into a natural ravine, the stadium’s site was used for ancient Greek athletic contests and later Roman spectacles before falling into centuries of disuse.
    ABC News, ABC News, 16 Aug. 2026
  • In Navarrette’s casting as Rogue, there was an implicit acknowledgement of the kind of shifts in consumer sentiment Marvel may be worrying about — away from IP-reliant spectacle towards something more homegrown and hand-spun.
    Chris Lee, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Clad in pine paneling, the cabins go light on ornamentation, instead emphasizing the surrounding landscape.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 July 2026
  • Master model designer Milan Madge incorporated metallic gold elements and raised textures to capture the original's rich ornamentation and depth.
    Matt Gardner, Forbes.com, 17 July 2026
Noun
  • No pomp, no circumstance, no celebrity— this is the sticky ground floor of the nation’s country music scene.
    Jacqueline Kehoe, Midwest Living, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Bonanno, one of its original members, is said to have eschewed the pomp and public appearances of his contemporaries and remained a low-profile figure into the 1950s.
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 18 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The decorations actually carry years of family memories, which makes deciding what stays especially personal.
    Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
  • Animated figures and other Christmas decorations that don’t work may still make a great display piece for someone.
    Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 15 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • Rose is another extraordinary showcase for her gifts and a master class in the art of acting with rigor, honesty, physicality and zero showiness.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 15 Feb. 2026
  • Garcia’s finest new dishes underscore his talent for complexity that bypasses showiness.
    Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 29 Jan. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Flashiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flashiness. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

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