as in pomp
excessive or unnecessary display
the sheer ostentation of the rock star's mansion was overwhelming
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Recent Examples of ostentation
Small in scale, devoid of ostentation, and otherwise deferential to Carmel’s forest character—Dyar Architecture’s Carmelo connects the dots between Carmel-by-the-Sea’s architectural past and present.
—
Richard Olsen, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
What existed in the White House was a relative lack of ostentation — formal, but showing occasional signs of wear and tear, proof that this was a People’s House, not a palace.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ostentation
Richard Olsen, Forbes.com, 17 Jan. 2026
What existed in the White House was a relative lack of ostentation — formal, but showing occasional signs of wear and tear, proof that this was a People’s House, not a palace.
—Ted Johnson, Deadline, 23 Oct. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for ostentation
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostentation
Noun
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Aside from the pomp and politics, though, these massive events can also bring an economic boom to host cities.—
Dan Snyder,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
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Trump likes Charles and royal pomp, but there are potential flashpoints, not least the administration’s recent comments about UK sovereignty over the Falkland Islands.—
Tom Chivers,
semafor.com,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
It is surrounded by appliqué ornamentation reflecting the decorative arts of each culture and an ornate frieze around the periphery.—
Rachel Cormack,
Robb Report,
30 Apr. 2026
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Yet its sleek, monochromatic design serves as a quiet counterpoint to the temple’s rich ornamentation.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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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
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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
Noun
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His flamboyance never tips into caricature, and along with wit and warmth there is real pain.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
16 Apr. 2026
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For attorneys in an overcrowded marketplace, in a city with casual ethics and a weakness for flamboyance, an outlandish sales pitch can be the best way to break through.—
Patrick Radden Keefe,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Plus, the flower decoration adds a fun feminine flare.—
Aashna Gheewalla,
PEOPLE,
7 May 2026
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Like all good practitioners of this ancient form of body decoration, the artist who inked me gave me a specific list of instructions to take care of my skin in the days and weeks that followed.—
Justin Fenner,
Robb Report,
6 May 2026
Noun
-
Tiffany Stringer brings the glitz and glamour to the premiere screening event for her EP The Lone Starlet on April 30 in Los Angeles.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
4 May 2026
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His team has tried to portray Mann as a manipulator who used the Oscar-winning producer to access the glitz and glamor of Hollywood.—
Molly Crane-Newman,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Noun
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But then, what is art if not an attempt to tidy up the real world’s teeming luxuriance?—
Sebastian Smee,
Washington Post,
5 Dec. 2023
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The comic luxuriance of Roman references should not blind us to the significance of these constant appeals to the Roman Republic and to classical virtue.—
Adam Gopnik,
The New Yorker,
24 Oct. 2022
Noun
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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
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So that drove a kind of character choice as well about the gaudiness of the society.—
Kelsie Gibson,
PEOPLE,
1 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ostentation.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostentation. Accessed 11 May. 2026.
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