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showy

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adjective

Synonym Chooser

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

The words ostentatious and pretentious are common synonyms of showy. While all three words mean "given to excessive outward display," showy implies an imposing or striking appearance but usually suggests cheapness or poor taste.

the performers' showy costumes

When might ostentatious be a better fit than showy?

In some situations, the words ostentatious and showy are roughly equivalent. However, ostentatious stresses vainglorious display or parade.

the ostentatious summer homes of the rich

When can pretentious be used instead of showy?

The synonyms pretentious and showy 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

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 showiness
Adjective
Don’t be shy about breaking out a showy belt buckle, vintage Western wear, and a bold cowboy hat. Karla Walsh, Southern Living, 3 May 2025 Alicia Vikander, 'The Danish Girl' (2016) Eddie Redmayne has the showier role as 19th-century trans pioneer Lili Elbe, the first person known to receive gender confirmation surgery. Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 25 Feb. 2025 In the primary suite, the chatelaine’s dressing room is a fashionista’s dream with a showy display for her shoes, in which every pair is presented like jewelry on a backlit white onyx Goldshire background. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2025 The main stairs lead up to a duplex designed as a rental, with a loggia over 49th Street and a showy centerpiece: a curving staircase with a chrome handrail designed by Sanders, who also designed tubular chrome furniture. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 20 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for showiness
Recent Examples of Synonyms for showiness
Noun
  • As high heels become less of a requisite in certain arenas, the Cannes red carpet — whose ostentation is rivaled only by the Met Gala or the Oscars — is something of a final frontier.
    Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 24 May 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
  • Even more notably, Tha Carter V sold a massive 480,000 units in its debut week back in 2018, underscoring a noticeable slide in first-week performance over the years.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 12 June 2025
  • The dog's most distinctive feature—a noticeable facial deformity—raised immediate questions.
    Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 June 2025
Noun
  • Whatever the shape of your face or preference for colour or flamboyance level, the idea is the same: pack one pair that works with every outfit and be done with it.
    Nick Hendry, Robb Report, 30 Apr. 2025
  • Their flamboyance was a public assertion of freedom, particularly in the north of the United States, where many migrated to reinvent and present themselves following freedom.
    Tiana Randall, Forbes.com, 30 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • His script may go over the top, and a generally adept cast (which also includes prominent parts for Sinbad, Rockmond Dunbar, Shalet Monique and others) copes variably with its excesses.
    Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 June 2025
  • The two prominent Idaho families joined when Andrus’s youngest daughter, Kelly, married Church’s son Chase in 1989.
    Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 6 June 2025
Noun
  • Strong lines that team up to form geometric designs, metallic accents, luxe materials like marble and velvet, and eye-catching ornamentation are certainly part of the style's foundation, true.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2025
  • The tomb should be in the ground; simple, without particular ornamentation, and bearing only the inscription: Franciscus.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025
Adjective
  • That, in turn, would drive up federal tax receipts and fill most, if not all, of the hole created by $3.7 trillion loss of revenue to the government projected over 10 years at the same time Trump’s tariffs would drive a dramatic surge in revenue not included in any budget score tied to the bill.
    Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 4 June 2025
  • And some series drew big crowds, such as Hagerty’s dramatic three-game conquests against Winter Park and Spruce Creek, which included three extra-inning games.
    Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 4 June 2025
Noun
  • This spectacle on a busy Friday afternoon led a crowd to gather, with some denouncing the show of force and impeding the ICE operation.
    U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2025
  • Racetracks like Saratoga have attempted to make the weekend a spectacle, with bands and activities throughout the races in hopes of showing the greatness of horse racing and what a day at the track looks like.
    Spencer Ripchik, Baltimore Sun, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • The defending champions must find a way to slow down the duo of Draisaitl and Connor McDavid in Game 2, or the series could be heading to Florida with the Oilers holding a commanding 2-0 lead.
    Ben Verbrugge, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
  • Early polls, such as an Inside California Politics/Emerson survey show her with a commanding 31% to 8% lead over former Rep. Katie Porter, who was in second, among likely voters.
    Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 5 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Showiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/showiness. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

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