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.
McClendon, a flamboyant billionaire, persuaded Whole Foods to set up shop, developed an upscale shopping center across from the campus, and helped fund several restaurants.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026
After Tim Curry finished playing the flamboyant Dr. Frank-N-Furter — first onstage, then in the 1975 film “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” — the actor never returned to the role that made him famous.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
When the country's new president Abelardo de la Espriella took office August 7, the news was celebrated by US President Donald Trump, who backed the flamboyant right-winger's candidacy.
From Barron's ● Aug. 16, 2026
England's Sophie Ecclestone, having just completed a flamboyant half-century, pressed forward, only for the ball to dip, grip and sneak between bat and pad into the stumps.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
As an attorney, I could be rather flamboyant in court.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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.
