flashy

American

[flash-ee] / ˈflæʃ i /

adjective

flashier, flashiest

sparkling or brilliant, especially in a superficial way or for the moment.

a flashy performance.
ostentatiously or vulgarly smart; showy; gaudy.

flashy clothes.

flashy British

/ ˈflæʃɪ /

adjective

brilliant and dazzling, esp for a short time or in a superficial way
cheap and ostentatious

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Related Words

See gaudy ¹.

Other Word Forms

flashily adverb
flashiness noun
unflashy adjective

Etymology

Origin of flashy

First recorded in 1575–85; flash + -y ¹

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.

Maybe Roher believes this is what our increasingly gullible, truth-challenged citizenry needs from an explanatory doc: a flashy, kindhearted reminder that we’re the change we need to be.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2026

While Anthropic, OpenAI and other AI companies have grown their private-market valuations substantially in recent months, this isn’t the first time that closed-end funds offering access to flashy private companies have trended.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

Bellarmine and his older brother Robert Jr have made headlines over the years for their flashy lifestyles in the face of rising poverty in Zimbabwe.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

Malinin has made a habit of shattering figure skating’s scoring records, but he’s also known for doing flashy tricks just because he can.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 7, 2026

On the other are parked cars—roadsters, coupes, sedans, even limousines—all flashy, all new.

From "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023