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 Up the road, Massa and Pietrasanta offer a friendlier, (slightly) less flashy vibe while sharing the same spectacular mountain backdrop. Erica Firpo, AFAR Media, 8 Sep. 2025 The Miami Hurricanes weren’t focused on doing anything flashy on Saturday, although there was plenty of flash to come from the outing. Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2025 Lemon had a career night, though not flashy in the ways that the opposite receiver was. Haley Sawyer, Oc Register, 7 Sep. 2025 Of course, the lack of flashy new features in Windows 11 25H2 might indicate a bigger splash next year or even presage a move to Windows 12. Michael Muchmore, PC Magazine, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flashy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flashy
Adjective
  • Lovevook Laptop Tote Bag Looking stylish for work doesn’t have to mean compromising on function.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 9 Sep. 2025
  • Thankfully, Amazon has plenty of stylish wrinkle-free tops that won’t get creased on the way to your destination.
    Mia Huelsbeck, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • This discourse only got louder during minicamp when he was called out for his physical appearance and route running.
    Kevin McCormick, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Sep. 2025
  • As Anisimova kept making things close again, and the crowd kept getting loud, Sabalenka reminded herself to focus on herself.
    Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 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
  • During recent surveys for these noisy lizards in Namibia, researchers found five species new to science, according to the study.
    Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
  • The Aventho 200’s microphone uses Qualcomm’s cVc technology to ensure high-quality audio on phone calls and video meetings, even in noisy environments such as crowded trains or busy airports.
    Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 3 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
Adjective
  • That gaudy slash line is almost solely responsible for Alcántara being the September call-up over top outfield prospect Owen Caissie.
    Andrew Wright, MSNBC Newsweek, 2 Sep. 2025
  • In many of these suburbs, the prevalence of tearing down perfectly sound old single-family homes in order to build often-gaudy new structures has led to proposals to incentivize keeping more of the old housing stock, using tax breaks and other means.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • The traditional ignition on the steering wheel’s left is replaced by a start/stop button — a neat updating of Porsche’s legacy.
    Mark Phelan, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2025
  • The inclusion on one concourse wall of the poem ‘Goodison is forever’ that PJ Smith recited at the old ground’s final act as the home of the men’s team in May is another neat touch.
    Richard Sutcliffe, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Waterspouts tend to form when the air is cool and moist, and the water is near its warmest.
    Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 8 Sep. 2025
  • After months of summer heat, cooler temperatures are a welcome shift, but along with sweater weather and falling leaves come dwindling daylight hours.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 8 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Flashy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flashy. Accessed 12 Sep. 2025.

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