Dictionary.com

gaudy

1
[ gaw-dee ]
/ ˈgɔ di /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for: gaudy / gaudily / gaudiness on Thesaurus.com
adjective, gaud·i·er, gaud·i·est.
brilliantly or excessively showy: gaudy plumage.
cheaply showy in a tasteless way; flashy.
ostentatiously ornamented; garish.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
who
whom
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of gaudy

1
1520–30; originally attributive use of gaudy2; later taken as a derivative of gaud

synonym study for gaudy

2. Gaudy, flashy, garish, showy agree in the idea of conspicuousness and, often, bad taste. That which is gaudy challenges the eye, as by brilliant colors or evident cost, and is not in good taste: a gaudy hat. Flashy suggests insistent and vulgar display, in rather a sporty manner: a flashy necktie. Garish suggests a glaring brightness, or crude vividness of color, and too much ornamentation: garish decorations. Showy applies to that which is strikingly conspicuous, but not necessarily offensive to good taste: a garden of showy flowers; a showy dress.

OTHER WORDS FROM gaudy

gaud·i·ly, adverbgaud·i·ness, nounun·gaud·i·ly, adverbun·gaud·i·ness, noun

Other definitions for gaudy (2 of 2)

gaudy2
[ gaw-dee ]
/ ˈgɔ di /
noun, plural gaud·ies.British.
a festival or celebration, especially an annual college feast.

Origin of gaudy

2
1400–50; late Middle English <Latin gaudium joy, delight
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to gaudy

brilliant, flashy, garish, jazzy, ostentatious, showy, snazzy, splashy, chichi, crude, gay, gross, pizazz, screaming, tinsel, blatant, brazen, catchpenny, chintzy, coarse

How to use gaudy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for gaudy (1 of 2)

gaudy1
/ (ˈɡɔːdɪ) /
adjective gaudier or gaudiest
gay, bright, or colourful in a crude or vulgar manner; garish

Derived forms of gaudy

gaudily, adverbgaudiness, noun

Word Origin for gaudy

C16: from gaud

British Dictionary definitions for gaudy (2 of 2)

gaudy2
/ (ˈɡɔːdɪ) /
noun plural gaudies
British a celebratory festival or feast held at some schools and colleges

Word Origin for gaudy

C16: from Latin gaudium joy, from gaudēre to rejoice
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
FEEDBACK