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gaudy

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adjective

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
Adjective
The Timberwolves recorded a gaudy 38 assists on 53 made shots. Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 10 Mar. 2025 While not nearly as gaudy, last fall’s WNBA Finals also set a record. Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 7 Mar. 2025 Instead of orange-leaning oak cabinets with gaudy gold hardware, opt for wood materials such as white oak or pine, clean-lines, and sleek hardware. Maria Sabella, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Mar. 2025 My proclivity to shop is surprising to no one, least of all me, but what was surprising was that I had been influenced by a TV show that is, on its face, about the sweaty, masculine, occasionally gaudy world of professional basketball. Sam Reed, Glamour, 28 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for gaudiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaudiness
Noun
  • Elite football is very demanding, but anything that makes people enjoy it more and is more of a spectacle.
    Guillermo Rai, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2025
  • What makes The Day May Break photographic series so unforgettable is Brandt’s refusal to rely on spectacle.
    Lee Sharrock, Forbes.com, 17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • Such evidence could support the view that incessant loud noise amounts to torture or cruel treatment towards cetaceans, in turn galvanizing support for a new right to be free from such harm.
    David Gruber, Time, 24 Apr. 2025
  • According to cops, Mette, while inside Tamara’s Beauty Bar, a salon on Lenox Ave. near W. 113th St., heard a loud argument between two groups about 10:20 p.m. Tuesday.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The mansion, often considered a monument to Roaring ‘20s ostentation, stretches from the Intracoastal to the Atlantic Ocean.
    Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
  • The pink-and-brown mansion, often considered a monument to Roaring 20s ostentation, stretches from Lake Worth to the Atlantic Ocean and contains 58 bedrooms, 33 bathrooms, three bomb shelters, a theater, a ballroom and a nine-hole golf course.
    Miami Herasld Archives, Miami Herald, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • For example, secondary insomnia can develop due to issues such as chronic pain, a noisy environment, or stress about finances.
    Smita Patel, Verywell Health, 28 Apr. 2025
  • In a noisy job market, your personal brand, digital presence, and network are critical assets.
    Sho Dewan, Forbes.com, 27 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The scenes on this planet emphasize pomp and pageantry as well as the finer points of diplomacy.
    Noel Murray, New York Times, 23 Apr. 2025
  • But no amount of pomp and hype can make something true.
    WIRED Staff, WIRED, 24 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Its fingerprint-resistant finish and seamless construction offer a clean, almost architectural presence—no clunky plastic, no garish branding, just elegant utility.
    Bailey Berg, Architectural Digest, 17 Apr. 2025
  • The word has become an epithet for garish, reckless growth — but to fix the housing crisis, the country needs more of it.
    Conor Dougherty, New York Times, 10 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • As luxury fashion began to tilt toward flamboyance and logo-happy flash, the Meiers were unafraid to show something as stark as pencil-straight dark trousers with a white button-up.
    Jacob Gallagher, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2025
  • Meanwhile, the always captivating Dafoe, at one point wearing full armor, exhibits a not atypical, full-bodied macho flamboyance as a man who regrets not having a son.
    Carlos Aguilar, Variety, 27 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • Transparent — these see-through beauts with wrap-up ankle straps are in a league of their own, saying a lot without ever appearing too flashy.
    Stacia Datskovska, WWD, 15 Mar. 2025
  • Amid the classic, flashy film and television premieres this week at SXSW, the festival also offered a forum for burgeoning creators to showcase their work in the Independent TV Pilot Program.
    Katie Campione, Deadline, 14 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Gaudiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaudiness. Accessed 3 May. 2025.

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