gaudy

¹ American  

[gaw-dee] / ˈgɔ di /

adjective

gaudier, gaudiest

1. brilliantly or excessively showy.

   gaudy plumage.

2. cheaply showy in a tasteless way; flashy.

   Synonyms:

   obvious, conspicuous, loud, tawdry

   Antonyms:

   sober, modest

3. ostentatiously ornamented; garish.

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gaudy ² American  

[gaw-dee] / ˈgɔ di /

noun

British.

plural

gaudies

1. a festival or celebration, especially an annual college feast.

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gaudy ¹ British  

/ ˈɡɔːdɪ /

adjective

1. gay, bright, or colourful in a crude or vulgar manner; garish

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gaudy ² British  

/ ˈɡɔːdɪ /

noun

1. a celebratory festival or feast held at some schools and colleges

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Related Words

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 Word Forms

• gaudily adverb
• gaudiness noun
• ungaudily adverb

Etymology

Origin of gaudy¹

First recorded in 1520–30; originally attributive use of gaudy ² ( def. ); later taken as a derivative of gaud ( def. )

Origin of gaudy²

1400–50; late Middle English < Latin gaudium joy, delight

Explanation

Something that's gaudy is showy, bright and definitely tacky. So think twice about that gaudy rainbow-colored suit and shiny gold shoes ensemble. Gaudy is an adjective that means "ostentatious" — in other words, flashy and in your face, and not in a good way. Someone in a gaudy outfit is probably trying too hard to be cool and stylish. Gaudy evolved from the Middle English gaud “deception, trick” in the 1520’s. That word, in turn, came from gaudi, used to describe a “large, ornamental bead in a rosary.”

Example Sentences

Investors are suddenly very nervous about the gaudy sums tech giants are spending on AI.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

Between Raton, N.M., and Trinidad, Colo., amid a gaudy sunset, we crept past a herd of elk, then plunged into a tunnel.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

New casinos sprang up, alongside gaudy, luxury hotels and apartment blocks.

From BBC • Oct. 23, 2025

The compensation is unprecedented, but investors have chosen this type of gaudy compensation for Musk in the past.

From Barron's • Oct. 20, 2025

I had a cousin who lived in Englewood, plenty of money there but gaudy rich, lots of lawn statuary, half the saints in the Gregorian calendar sticking out of the Ficus benjamina.

From "Burning Blue" by Paul Griffin

Related Words

• brilliant
• flashy
• garish
• jazzy
• ostentatious
• showy
• snazzy
• splashy