gaudy1
- brilliantly or excessively showy: gaudy plumage.
- cheaply showy in a tasteless way; flashy.
- ostentatiously ornamented; garish.
Origin of gaudy1
Synonyms
See more synonyms for gaudy on Thesaurus.comAntonyms
Examples from the Web for gaudiness
Contemporary Examples
There was no mistaking this for the gaudiness and gilt of made-for-TV awards shows.
Historical Examples
Then there were splendid liveries, and all manner of gaudiness, not without some taste.
Journal of a Voyage to BrazilMaria Graham
In thy apparel avoid singularity, profuseness, and gaudiness.
Book of Wise SayingsW. A. Clouston
Gaudiness, after all, defeats its own purpose, for it expresses a certain vulgarity.
Book of Etiquette, Volume 2Lillian Eichler Watson
He achieves effects in gaudiness which even time Italian officer cannot equal.
Europe RevisedIrvin S. Cobb
There was not a sign of gaudiness about her; not a ring, a necklace, or a bracelet.
Cumner & South Sea Folk, CompleteGilbert Parker
gaudy1
- gay, bright, or colourful in a crude or vulgar manner; garish
Word Origin
gaudy2
- British a celebratory festival or feast held at some schools and colleges
Word Origin
Word Origin and History for gaudiness
gaudy
adj.
"showy, tastelessly rich," 1580s, probably ultimately from Middle English gaudi "large, ornamental bead in a rosary" (early 14c.); but there is a parallel sense of gaudy as "full of trickery" (1520s), from Middle English gaud "deception, trick," from gaudi "a jest, trick," possibly from Anglo-French gaudir "be merry, scoff," from Latin gaudere "rejoice" (see joy).
Alternative etymology of the adjective is from Middle English gaudegrene "yellowish-green" (early 14c.), originally "green dye" obtained from a plant formerly known as weld, from a Germanic source (see weld (n.)), which became gaude in Old French. The English term supposedly shifted sense from "weld-dye" to "bright." As a noun, "feast, festival" 1650s, from gaudy day "day of rejoicing" (1560s).