GAUDINESSES Synonyms: 118 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How does the adjective 'gaudy' contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gaudy are flashy , garish , meretricious , and tawdry . While all these words mean "vulgarly or cheaply showy," gaudy implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation. // circus performers in gaudy costumes

Q: When could 'flashy' be used to replace 'gaudy'?

The words flashy and gaudy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, flashy implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar. // a flashy nightclub act

Q: When is 'garish' a more appropriate choice than 'gaudy'?

While in some cases nearly identical to gaudy , garish describes what is distressingly or offensively bright. // garish neon signs

Q: Where would 'meretricious' be a reasonable alternative to 'gaudy'?

The synonyms meretricious and gaudy 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

Q: When is it sensible to use 'tawdry' instead of 'gaudy'?

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

gaudiness 1 of 2

noun

Definition of gaudiness next

as in spectacle

excessive or unnecessary display the gaudiness of the velvety wallpaper and cut-glass lamps made the guests giggle in amusement

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

gaudy

2 of 2

adjective

ˈgȯ-dē

as in loud

excessively showy gaudy decorations on all the doors and windows at festival time

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective gaudy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gaudy are flashy, garish, meretricious, and tawdry. While all these words mean "vulgarly or cheaply showy," gaudy implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation.

circus performers in gaudy costumes

When could flashy be used to replace gaudy?

The words flashy and gaudy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, flashy implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar.

a flashy nightclub act

When is garish a more appropriate choice than gaudy?

While in some cases nearly identical to gaudy, garish describes what is distressingly or offensively bright.

garish neon signs

Where would meretricious be a reasonable alternative to gaudy?

The synonyms meretricious and gaudy 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 is it sensible to use tawdry instead of gaudy?

In some situations, the words tawdry and gaudy 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 gaudiness

Noun

The Dominick is all floor-to-ceiling windows, soaking tubs, rooftop pools, and moody light fixtures — in other words, its 46 stories are peppered with elements that exude upscale, sophisticated energy while avoiding all signs of gaudiness. —

Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 2 Mar. 2026 So that drove a kind of character choice as well about the gaudiness of the society. —

Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 1 Feb. 2026

Adjective

The coin, which breaks with the country’s longstanding tradition of not featuring a living person on its currency, joins a swiftly growing list of other Trumpian imprints on arts and culture, including architectural choices deemed gaudy and garish by experts and laypeople alike. —

Arts Editor, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 The Racers live up to their name with fast pace and gaudy point totals. —

Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gaudiness

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaudiness

Noun

But, even if Church’s propensity to recruit nature for heavy-handed symbolism can seem too much today, something about his work—some combination of thrilling ambition, tact tethered to empiricism, and loving tenderness—continues to magnetize our spectacle-jaded eyes.

— Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
The 28-year-old's absence breaks a four-year streak of attending the fashion spectacle dating back to 2022.

— Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 4 May 2026