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ostentatious

/ˈɑstənˌteɪʃəs/

/ɒstɛnˈteɪʃɪs/

Reach for the adjective ostentatious when you want a flashy way to say — well, "flashy" or "showy."

No one wants to be described as ostentatious, a word whose cousins include pretentious, flamboyant, and gaudy. It originates from the Latin word ostentare, "to display," but in English it's often used for displays of the crass or vulgar sort. A rapper's diamond-encrusted teeth might be an ostentatious display of "bling," and someone wailing especially loudly at a funeral of a distant acquaintance might be making an ostentatious show of sorrow.

Definitions of ostentatious
  1. adjective
    intended to attract notice and impress others
    “an ostentatious sable coat”
    synonyms: pretentious
    flaunty
    inclined to flaunt
    flamboyant, showy, splashy
    marked by ostentation but often tasteless
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    Antonyms:
    unostentatious, unpretending, unpretentious
    not ostentatious
    quiet, restrained
    not showy or obtrusive
    show more antonyms...
  2. adjective
    (of a display) tawdry or vulgar
    synonyms: pretentious
    tasteless
    lacking aesthetic or social taste
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘ostentatious'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors. Send us feedback
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