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:
So when the Tesla CEO puts on a flashy show, as he did Thursday at a rocket facility near Waco, Texas, one must take note—not because the new Roadster is going to become a bestseller.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 17, 2026
"It's the end of the glitter," professed president Nasser Al-Khelaifi after years of lavish spending, ushering out the "flashy, bling-bling" era.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
While debates about building AI that surpasses human intelligence, flashy new gadgets and AI spending tend to dominate tech events, tech talks at last week’s Oakland Tech Week often had a different vibe.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
Even today, most humanoids are either used for flashy demonstrations — like the 100-meter dash at the World Humanoid Robot Games — or in pilot programs.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 2, 2026
In its new camouflage netting, it glittered silver like an extremely flashy forty-foot-tall ghost.
From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan
The renewed hostilities come as Saudi Arabia has been battling an economic slowdown and rolling back some of its flashier investments.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Car sales account for the bulk of Tesla’s revenue, which it needs to fund flashier projects like robotaxis and humanoid robots that can excite investors.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 1, 2026
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 in a digital age of flashier bells and whistles, why are comics appealing to them?
From BBC ● Dec. 13, 2025
They’re traveling works of art, the flashier the better.
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
The flashiest deliverable is the promise to build 196,000 more public-housing units over the next five years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
The first-order winners may not be the flashiest robot brands.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
The metal shutters and advanced outdoor sprinkler system are the flashiest parts of Tavangarian’s home hardening project, and the efficacy of these adaptations is still up for debate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 2, 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
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
