Synonyms of ostentatious

ostentatious

adjective

ˌä-stən-ˈtā-shəs 

1

as in loud

excessively showy

wears an ostentatious diamond ring on his little finger

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loud
• noisy
• gaudy
• extravagant
• ornate
• garish
• flashy
• excessive
• flamboyant
• glitzy
• flaring
• fancy
• swank
• splashy
• over-the-top
• razzle-dazzle
• pretentious
• overwrought
• bright
• baroque
• fulsome
• spectacular
• glaring
• hammy
• snazzy
• tawdry
• florid
• overdone
• tacky
• vulgar
• glittery
• inelegant
• lurid
• bedizened
• blaring
• tasteless
• graceless
• overbright
• tinselly
• zooty

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• understated
• appropriate
• conservative
• quiet
• proper
• fitting
• inconspicuous
• unobtrusive
• unflashy
• restrained
• elegant
• subdued
• muted
• graceful
• tasteful
• unflamboyant
• modest
• toned (down)
• simple
• plain
• unpretentious

2

as in arrogant

self-consciously trying to present an appearance of grandeur or importance

an ostentatious man who desperately wants to impress people with his newly acquired wealth

Synonyms & Similar Words

• arrogant
• grandiose
• pretentious
• pompous
• proud
• high-minded
• smug
• highfalutin
• affected
• snippy
• la-di-da
• aggressive
• cavalier
• vainglorious
• grandiloquent
• vain
• high-sounding
• conceited
• bumptious
• rude
• sententious
• high-and-mighty
• confident
• showy
• egotistic
• snobbish
• supercilious
• important
• uppity
• gaudy
• presumptuous
• high-toned
• high-handed
• haughty
• egoistic
• imperious
• prideful
• complacent
• snobby
• boastful
• garish
• self-important
• assertive
• high-hat
• flashy
• disdainful
• flamboyant
• glitzy
• hoity-toity
• high-flown
• insolent
• impudent
• overweening
• self-aggrandizing
• self-complacent
• sure
• self-centered
• self-satisfied
• superior
• self-glorifying
• self-conceited
• airy
• self-promoting
• cocky
• brassy
• self-obsessed
• cheeky
• self-assertive
• audacious
• lordly
• self-dramatizing
• flaunting
• self-asserting
• stuck-up
• bold
• splashy
• self-confident
• self-pleased
• self-assured
• bragging
• braggart
• forward

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• modest
• unpretentious
• humble
• unassuming
• homely
• meek
• lowly
• passive
• down-to-earth
• retiring
• timid
• quiet
• bashful
• shy
• demure
• unassertive
• reserved
• mousy
• diffident
• overmodest

Synonym Chooser

How is the word ostentatious different from other adjectives like it?

The words pretentious and showy are common synonyms of ostentatious. While all three words mean "given to excessive outward display," ostentatious stresses vainglorious display or parade.

the ostentatious summer homes of the rich

When is it sensible to use pretentious instead of ostentatious?

The synonyms pretentious and ostentatious are sometimes interchangeable, but pretentious implies an appearance of importance not justified by the thing's value or the person's standing.

a pretentious parade of hard words

When could showy be used to replace ostentatious?

The words showy and ostentatious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, showy implies an imposing or striking appearance but usually suggests cheapness or poor taste.

the performers' showy costumes

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of ostentatious

In Nepal, the flag was tied to anger at youth unemployment and at the ostentatious wealth of political dynasties displayed online. —Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2025

Local law prohibits ostentatious displays by public officials, as well as their families. —Chad De Guzman, Time, 21 Sep. 2025

During its heyday, the light yellow was warming, but not as potentially ostentatious as gold. —R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025

Lamborghinis ostentatious, Corvettes simplistic, BMWs arrogant. —Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2025

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