ostentatious
Americanadjective
-
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.
Related Words
See grandiose.
Other Word Forms
- ostentatiously adverb
- ostentatiousness noun
- unostentatious adjective
- unostentatiously adverb
Etymology
Origin of ostentatious
First recorded in 1650–60; ostentat(ion) + -ious
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.
Performing as the Kangol Crew, Rick played up his English heritage - wearing regal capes and ostentatious jewellery, while referring to himself as Rick the Ruler or Richard of Nottingham.
From BBC • Mar. 25, 2026
Not since Usain Bolt thumped his chest before crossing the finish line of the 100-meter dash have the Olympics seen such a brazen and ostentatious flex.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 10, 2026
In an era of “common prosperity” and a tightening labor market for youth, ostentatious displays of wealth have become viewed as tone-deaf.
From MarketWatch • Jan. 27, 2026
A Dubai restaurant has opened that prides itself on having the world's "first AI chef", the latest ostentatious dive into new technology in a city obsessed with being on the cutting edge of the future.
From Barron's • Nov. 30, 2025
The screen lit up, blinding and ostentatious, and its CPU component started whirring like crazy.
From "A Very Large Expanse of Sea" by Tahereh Mafi
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.
