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flashy

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adjective

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
Adjective
Or perhaps a very flashy bit of chainmail. Kathleen Walsh, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2025 Outside of the flashy operations that splash the headlines of Western media occasionally, the day-to-day tactical use of drones has also dramatically increased. Joseph Nepomuceno, The Washington Examiner, 13 Sep. 2025 Brands began pulling stunts, breaking news and unveiling flashy concept cars. Liam Rappleye, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025 The flashy girl from Flushing is back with some old friends. Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 13 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flashiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flashiness
Noun
  • One of the things that make Jude Law such an interesting actor, especially in his middle age, has been his ability to direct his flamboyance and his physicality towards unlikely ends.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2025
  • Jones says Lee’s versatility – ranging from her quietly powerful performance in Past Lives to more comedic roles in Russian Doll more recently The Studio – shines through in her performance as Gloria, whose outward flamboyance hides a darker reality.
    Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • On top of that, the glossy colors and neutral prints look stylish and match with everything.
    Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
  • After decades of simple stemware and minimalist tumblers, wild, eye-catching vessels now adorn stylish tables.
    New York Times, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • McIlroy received the loudest cheers of the day as his eagle shot dropped in on the par 5.
    Caoimhe O'Neill, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025
  • And instead of Mulder talking about his fond memories playing for the A’s in Oakland, a loud and repeating beep echoed through the public address system.
    Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Formula 1 has Monaco, with its ostentation and air of exclusivity.
    Jonathan Hawkins, CNN Money, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Never through excess or ostentation, but through quiet discipline — a meditative expression of grace.
    Andrea Onate, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Our cabin lacked a TV or a desk but had a snazzy shower and a near-360-degree view of the woods, river or the night sky when the black-out curtains were opened.
    Michael Goldstein, Forbes.com, 16 Aug. 2025
  • These days, Stewart’s concerts take their cues from his long-running Las Vegas residencies, and there was a snazzy polish to Tuesday’s proceedings.
    Brian McCollum, Freep.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
  • Just a 10-minute stroll from the city center, the elevation affords something akin to a retreat; Bolaño feels spirited away from the noisy streets, surrounded instead by humming cicadas and chirping birds.
    Keith Flanagan, Architectural Digest, 11 Sep. 2025
  • In the vast and noisy Southern Ocean, such predictability may be the key to helping rivals or potential mates recognize an individual voice across miles of ice and water.
    Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Strings of beads were draped on nude illusion fabric to create a mini dress and a top with cascades of glitz and glamour.
    Blue Carreon, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
  • Boucheron jewelry and an Omega watch addes extra glitz.
    Jackie Fields, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Many have compared the silhouette to the once-fashionable Balenciaga Triple-S, another behemoth of a sneaker.
    Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Created by Buffy alum and Cabin in the Woods director Drew Goddard, ABC's crime drama stars Kaitlin Olson as an eccentric (and fashionable) janitor with a genius-level IQ who stumbles into a consulting role with the Los Angeles Police Department.
    Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Sep. 2025

Cite this Entry

“Flashiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flashiness. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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