ostentatious

[ os-ten-tey-shuhs, -tuhn- ]

/ ˌɒs tɛnˈteɪ ʃəs, -tən- /

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See synonyms for: ostentatious / ostentatiously / ostentatiousness on Thesaurus.com

adjective

characterized by or given to pretentious or conspicuous show in an attempt to impress others: an ostentatious dresser.

(of actions, manner, qualities exhibited, etc.) intended to attract notice: Lady Bountiful's ostentatious charity.

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Origin of ostentatious

First recorded in 1650–60; ostentat(ion) + -ious

synonym study for ostentatious

1. See grandiose.

OTHER WORDS FROM ostentatious

os·ten·ta·tious·ly, adverbos·ten·ta·tious·ness, nounun·os·ten·ta·tious, adjectiveun·os·ten·ta·tious·ly, adverb

Words nearby ostentatious

ostensive, ostensive definition, ostensorium, ostensory, ostentation, ostentatious, osteo-, osteoarthritis, osteoarthrosis, osteoblast, osteochondritis

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use ostentatious in a sentence

Just north of the main building is an ostentatious spherical behemoth that houses the 1,000-seat David Geffen Theater and a second, smaller theater.
In Los Angeles, a new museum celebrates the art of moviemaking|Courtney Lichterman|October 28, 2021|Washington Post
A number of police officers have gone viral on right-wing media recently for their ostentatious rejections of departmental vaccine mandates.
How is DeSantis’s pro-anti-vaccination stance different than being anti-vaccine?|Philip Bump|October 25, 2021|Washington Post
He owned a successful soccer club, showed up at high-level political meetings wearing ostentatious designer belts and took his private jet to Paris on a whim.
China’s Evergrande veers toward default — and a $300 billion global shock|Christian Shepherd|September 22, 2021|Washington Post
Everything that would bring me joy always felt impractical, or too ostentatious at a time when thousands were suffering and dying, or too much effort for what would ultimately be a fleeting experience.
Most of All, I’ve Missed the Dinner Parties|Jaya Saxena|April 16, 2021|Eater

I hereby apologize to Cecilia, who is a real person, and an actual puppeteer, and who does not obnoxiously observe her birthday in an ostentatious display of self-celebration the way most of the rest of you do.
Gene Weingarten: Oh, is it your birthday? I don’t care.|Gene Weingarten|April 8, 2021|Washington Post
And most of the contemporization sounds like what it is—an ostentatious, slightly ill-fitting suit slipped onto a stiff.
Michael Jackson’s Posthumous Album, ‘Xscape,’ Is a Confused, Shameless Money Grab|Andrew Romano|May 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
An ostentatious display of Japanese military might could scuttle those negotiations.
Japan Prepares to Shoot North Korean Missiles Out of the Sky|Angela Erika Kubo, Jake Adelstein|April 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was beyond ridiculous, beyond ostentatious, but it was all going to end soon.
Sandi Thom On How To Make It As A Female Rock Star|Sandi Thom|April 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The extraordinary price for the ostentatious gown proves that fascination with Princes Diana remains as strong today as ever.
'Fairytale' Diana Dress Makes $140,000 At Auction|Tom Sykes|December 4, 2013|DAILY BEAST
In the photo, the ostentatious monument is undercut (literally) by a temporary stall selling wares in its niche.
Charles Marville Captures the Rebirth of 1800s Paris in New Exhibition|William O’Connor|November 13, 2013|DAILY BEAST
And Jack come home from a long cruise, with prize-money in his pockets, was as ostentatious as any nouveau riche.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper
Kari averted his gaze because elephants are always irritated by the ostentatious bustle of a rhinoceros.
Kari the Elephant|Dhan Gopal Mukerji
Then Griffith observed how delicate and prudent his lovely wife was, without ostentatious prudery; and his heart was at peace.
The Atlantic Monthly, Volume 17, No. 101, March, 1866|Various
These dinners, formal as they were, are to be distinguished carefully from the extravagant banquets of the ostentatious rich.
The Private Life of the Romans|Harold Whetstone Johnston
Yet there was nothing ostentatious, or which seemed inconsistent with the degree of an opulent burgher.
The Fortunes of Nigel|Sir Walter Scott

British Dictionary definitions for ostentatious

ostentatious

/ (ˌɒstɛnˈteɪʃəs) /

adjective

characterized by pretentious, showy, or vulgar display

Derived forms of ostentatious

ostentatiously, adverb

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

ostentatious

Origin of ostentatious

synonym study for ostentatious

OTHER WORDS FROM ostentatious

Words nearby ostentatious

Words related to ostentatious

How to use ostentatious in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for ostentatious

Derived forms of ostentatious