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Showing results for razzle-dazzle. Search instead for razzle+dazzle.
Synonyms

razzle-dazzle

American  
[raz-uhl-daz-uhl] / ˈræz əlˈdæz əl /

noun

Informal.

  1. showiness, brilliance, or virtuosity in technique or effect, often without concomitant substance or worth; flashy theatricality.

    The razzle-dazzle of the essay's metaphors cannot disguise its shallowness of thought.

  2. Chiefly Football. deceptive action typically consisting of a series of complex maneuvers, as a double reverse or hand-off, usually executed in a flashy manner.

    a team relying more on power and speed than razzle-dazzle.

  3. confusion, commotion, or riotous gaiety.

    He thrived on the lights, the crowds, the razzle-dazzle of the Las Vegas Strip at night.

adjective

  1. impressively opulent or decorative, especially in a new way; showy; flashy; eye-catching.

    a shopping center lined with razzle-dazzle boutiques.

  2. energetic, dynamic, or innovative.

    razzle-dazzle technology; a razzle-dazzle sales pitch.
razzle-dazzle British  
/ ˈræzəlˈdæzəl, ˈræzməˈtæz /

noun

  1. slang noisy or showy fuss or activity

"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

Etymology

Origin of razzle-dazzle

First recorded in 1890–95; rhyming compound based on dazzle

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.