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 flashy His flashiest assists were offset by foolhardy turnovers. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025 Neither gravitates toward the flashier aspects of the virtuoso life style. Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 Those chasing flashy marketing will be left behind. Lutz Finger, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025 Strategic workforce management isn’t about slashing headcount for the sake of flashy cost-cutting. Sherzod Odilov, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flashy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flashy
Adjective
  • These roomy parachute cargo pants are functional but stylish and—especially for Tokyo, a city known for being a street fashion hub.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2025
  • One of the biggest struggles of dressing for the summer heat is finding a pair of sandals that are both stylish and comfortable.
    Katie Decker-Jacoby, StyleCaster, 25 June 2025
Adjective
  • Immediately, a loud chorus of boos can be heard from the crowd, demonstrating the attendees' displeasure with the news.
    Jason Lemon, MSNBC Newsweek, 23 June 2025
  • That’s why Central Florida residents should speak up, now and loud.
    Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 21 June 2025
Adjective
  • Photo : Gavin Cater The dining room unfolds into a snazzy kitchen outfitted with a La Cornue range.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 16 June 2025
  • Something delicate and silver, that goes almost anywhere for evening, or to almost any snazzy daytime event.
    Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 18 May 2025
Adjective
  • That means that for years, garbage trucks had to back down this dead end to make pickups -- a regular, noisy nuisance.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 15 June 2025
  • Swapping in the wrong kind could slightly reduce your range or make the ride noisier.
    Melanie Marshall, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • The brand offers a wide range of fashionable options, featuring more than a dozen colors and print styles, some available at a discount.
    Jené Luciani Sena may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 16 June 2025
  • The challenge of finding fashionable, seasonal attire, however, becomes a thing of the past after a glance at Amazon Outlet’s summer fashion deals.
    Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • But Oklahoma City engulfs basketball’s gaudiest attacks not in spite of its hacking but because of it.
    Fred Katz, New York Times, 16 June 2025
  • On Saturday, on the streets of Washington, Donald Trump will throw himself a costly and ostentatious military parade, a gaudy display of waste and vainglory staged solely to inflate the president’s dirigible-sized ego.
    Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2025
Adjective
  • Yet, this strategy stumbles when confronted with the complexity of human systems, where relationships and feedback loops defy neat separation and where interventions often yield unpredictable consequences.
    Dr. Alex Gold, Forbes.com, 18 June 2025
  • To spend your days sipping Aperol spritz on your own private porch rather than dealing with crowds of tourists, a rental home is a neat solution that offers a more authentic side of the lake.
    Madeline Weinfield, Architectural Digest, 17 June 2025
Adjective
  • Advertisement Regulate Your Temperature In the case of extreme heat, there are ways to stay cool that don’t involve AC or electric fans.
    Simmone Shah, Time, 24 June 2025
  • The skirt is so flowy, just right for staying cool in the Southern summer heat.
    Rebecca Jones, Southern Living, 24 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Flashy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flashy. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

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