flashy
Americanadjective
-
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
Related Words
See gaudy 1.
Other Word Forms
- flashily adverb
- flashiness noun
- unflashy adjective
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.
Leger-Walker went from a flashy three-point scorer at Washington State to a well-rounded player who can add energy to the Sparks’ bench.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 12, 2026
“Young investors tend to own stocks in flashy sectors and industries like technology,” he says.
From Barron's • Apr. 8, 2026
Starting around the early April “Liberation Day” market rebound, flashy companies in hot sectors with little to no profits were the stars.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
Downtown Munich is best-known for chic shops and flashy fast cars but right now its streets are bedecked with posters advertising next generation drones.
From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026
Soon after Deane arrived in Paris, he was targeted by a flashy, quick-witted British agent.
From "George Washington, Spymaster" by Thomas B. Allen
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.
