ostentatious
Americanadjective
-
characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others.
an ostentatious dresser.
-
(of actions, manner, qualities exhibited, etc.) intended to attract notice.
Lady Bountiful's ostentatious charity.
adjective
Synonym Usage
See grandiose.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of ostentatious
First recorded in 1650–60; ostentat(ion) + -ious
Explanation
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.
Vocabulary lists containing ostentatious
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ostentatious displays of wealth seem to have been prized over deliciousness.
From Salon • Nov. 26, 2015
Ostentatious kids' parties such as these are relatively rare.
From BBC • Apr. 5, 2015
Ostentatious living has gone out as well, despite the fact that even the lowliest members are often millionaires.
From Time Magazine Archive
Ostentatious funerals and processions of all sorts, public demonstrations over trifles, the worship of gilt and glitter, and the emotional spirit called loyalty, of the present day, do not exist in El Moghreb.
From In the Tail of the Peacock by Savory, Isabel
Ostentatious display, either by words or other means; publication; show; description; record.
From Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (2nd 100 Pages) by Webster, Noah
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
