flamboyant
Americanadjective
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strikingly bold or brilliant; showy.
flamboyant colors.
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conspicuously dashing and colorful.
the flamboyant idol of international society.
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florid; ornate; elaborately styled.
flamboyant speeches.
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Architecture.
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having the form of an ogee, as a bar of tracery.
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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.
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noun
adjective
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elaborate or extravagant; florid; showy
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rich or brilliant in colour; resplendent
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exuberant or ostentatious
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of, denoting, or relating to the French Gothic style of architecture characterized by flamelike tracery and elaborate carving
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of flamboyant
1825–35; < French, present participle of flamboyer to flame, flair, derivative of Old French flambe flame; see -ant
Explanation
Flamboyant means elaborate and ostentatious. When you think of flamboyant, think of Las Vegas showgirls: feathers, sequins, three-inch heels, enough make-up to disguise any irregularity. Flamboyant means showy, and though we often roll our eyes at it, it's not a hateful thing. Liberace was flamboyant. So was Elvis. The word comes from the French flamboyer, to flame. Think of passion and pageantry all rolled into one, and you'll have a good idea what flamboyant should mean at its best. If that doesn't do it for you, think of a man playing a shiny white grand piano at a rock concert, wearing a white satin jump suit and 8-foot wide, fully-feathered wings. See? Flamboyant.
Vocabulary lists containing flamboyant
George H.W. Bush (1924 -2018) Tribute List
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"The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
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Vocabulary: A Rapper's Delight!
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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.
Flamboyant, controversial Silvio Berlusconi - a three-time prime minister and a key coalition partner in Italy's current government - was envied and admired, loathed and derided in equal measure for many, many years.
From BBC • Jun. 13, 2023
Breaking Bobby Bones Flamboyant radio and TV personality Bobby Bones travels across the United States meeting people and performing daring stunts in this new unscripted series.
From Los Angeles Times • May 31, 2021
Flamboyant cousins whom Jay runs into at gay bars and aunts who roll their eyes and fold their arms judgmentally at the slightest whiff of family scandal make cameo appearances.
From Washington Post • Mar. 26, 2021
Flamboyant, boisterous musical numbers amplify the energy throughout, and the cameos sprinkled throughout are love letters to the original movie's fans.
From Salon • Mar. 5, 2021
The lowest stage is good and rich Flamboyant, with a highly adorned porch.
From Sketches of Travel in Normandy and Maine by Hutton, William Holden
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.
