flamboyant

[flam-boi-uhnt]

adjective

1. strikingly bold or brilliant; showy.

   flamboyant colors.

2. conspicuously dashing and colorful.

   the flamboyant idol of international society.

3. florid; ornate; elaborately styled.

   flamboyant speeches.

4. Architecture.

   1. having the form of an ogee, as a bar of tracery.

   2. noting or pertaining to French Gothic architecture of the late 15th and early and middle 16th centuries, characterized by the use of flamboyant tracery, intricacy of detailing, virtuosity of workmanship, attenuation of parts, and frequent complication of interior space.

noun

1. royal poinciana.

flamboyant

/ flæmˈbɔɪənt /

adjective

1. elaborate or extravagant; florid; showy

2. rich or brilliant in colour; resplendent

3. exuberant or ostentatious

4. of, denoting, or relating to the French Gothic style of architecture characterized by flamelike tracery and elaborate carving

noun

1. another name for royal poinciana

Other Word Forms

• flamboyance noun
• flamboyancy noun
• flamboyantly adverb
• unflamboyant adjective
• unflamboyantly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of flamboyant¹

1825–35; < French, present participle of flamboyer to flame, flair, derivative of Old French flambe flame; -ant

Word History and Origins

Origin of flamboyant¹

C19: from French: flaming, from flamboyer to _flame

Example Sentences

Forestry England suggests that "if we continue to experience warm days and cool, dry nights in September, we could see one of the most flamboyant autumn displays in recent years".

From BBC

Asked what the flamboyant star would have worn, his bandmate replied: "I think it would be formal. He wouldn't do the short shorts or the leotard. He'd be in tails, very elegant."

From BBC

"And then there's Hayashi, someone who is not so flamboyant but more experienced and tested."

From BBC

Alcaraz's serve was the bedrock of a brilliant performance, neutralising Sinner's strengths while setting the Spaniard up to play his naturally flamboyant, big-hitting game.

From BBC

Wearing his trademark brightly coloured Fedora, the flamboyant showman looks around the yard where more than half a dozen self-built homes sit.

From BBC

Related Words

• bombastic 
• brilliant 
• colorful 
• dazzling 
• flashy 
• glamorous 
• ornate 
• splashy 
• swashbuckling