flashy
Americanadjective
-
flashier,
comparative
-
flashiest
superlative
-
sparkling or brilliant, especially in a superficial way or for the moment.
a flashy performance.
-
ostentatiously or vulgarly smart; showy; gaudy.
flashy clothes.
adjective
-
brilliant and dazzling, esp for a short time or in a superficial way
-
cheap and ostentatious
Synonym Usage
See gaudy 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of flashy
Explanation
To be flashy is to be showy in a tasteless way. Just like a flash of light is hard to ignore, flashy behavior draws attention. Do you know anyone who is a show-off? That person is probably flashy. Wearing brightly colored rings is flashy. Buying a sports car is flashy. Boasting about how much money you have is flashy. Flashy behavior is the opposite of classy: it consists of showing off things in a loud, obnoxious way.
Vocabulary lists containing flashy
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Long Way Down
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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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.
See Examples For:
Afolabi Kazeem Michael, who is 49 and known online as KC Luxury, presented himself as a businessman and influencer dealing in gold and luxury goods, and regularly posted videos of his flashy cars.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
Here, “fame” doesn’t merely suggest flashy movie-star celebrity; it’s a status you can attain in any industry, so long as you climb to its upper ranks.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
Although under a somewhat faded exterior, Pacoima Middle School has flashy technology and other attributes, including expanded academic offerings, rising test scores, a robotics lab, a room of new fitness equipment and added garden space.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
“The Very Fine Clock” is not as flashy as that or any other Spark novel.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026
And the stores are smaller with less flashy signs, and all of them have stands outside selling beach towels and sunscreen and Styrofoam coolers.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
A newer, flashier toy posing a threat to the established order has been a running theme of the “Toy Story” franchise from the very beginning.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2026
But Jack Ablin, chief investment strategist at money manager Cresset, has identified a related trait shared by some companies that are both younger and flashier than Berkshire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 14, 2026
But in a digital age of flashier bells and whistles, why are comics appealing to them?
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
The Vazquezes introduced the “on-1” step and innovated a flashier, dramatic style of salsa in L.A. that brought crowds to competitions and congresses through the 2000s.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2025
He liked to shoot pool in his spare time, he played cards and dressed like a man from a much flashier part of the country.
From "Farewell to Manzanar" by Jeanne Houston
Wagner notes that the 5-foot-7 player’s game isn’t the flashiest, but describes her as a “silent killer” who excels at “redirecting pace, standing close to the baseline, constantly putting pressure on her opponents.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 2, 2026
The first-order winners may not be the flashiest robot brands.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
One of the flashiest news announcements Intel has made in recent months is that it is joining Elon Musk’s Terafab project, although the extent and exact nature of the chip maker’s involvement remains unclear.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 23, 2026
The winners are no longer the flashiest growth stories, but operators that can keep a tight grip on costs while convincing consumers that a meal out is still worth the money.
From Barron's ● Dec. 28, 2025
Of course, Katherine would naturally grab the flashiest weapons available.
From "Dread Nation" by Justina Ireland
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.
