razzmatazz
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of razzmatazz
An Americanism dating back to 1895–1900; by alteration
Explanation
The noun razzmatazz is a colorful way to talk about activity that's meant to impress or distract people with its showiness. Your brother's magic trick might be truly remarkable, or it may be nothing but a bunch of razzmatazz. The razzmatazz of a politician's television ads can hide the fact that she doesn't really have anything new to say about the issues, and the razzmatazz of a marching band's fancy uniforms might distract from the fact that the instruments are all out of tune. The noun razzmatazz probably came from razzle-dazzle, or "showiness," and it's probably also connected to jazz, both the word and the music itself.
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.
She starred in children's show Razzmatazz, the 1993 film Riders and was a model for cosmetic brand Max Factor.
From BBC • Nov. 21, 2023
Like A Friend, a rarity from the soundtrack to 1998's Great Expectations, feels like a particularly odd choice for a festival set, especially when they omit the fan favourite Razzmatazz.
From BBC • Jul. 21, 2023
The pair had recently made out after a night out at the hip club Razzmatazz, and Joel was feeling bold enough to share a favorite novel by Nikolai Gogol.
From Salon • Jul. 4, 2023
Murrieta got the nickname, "Razzmatazz", as a result of driving a car resembling the Crayola crayon of the same name, according to authorities.
From Fox News • Mar. 28, 2022
Related: Jarvis Cocker meets Iggy Pop: 'The more money a band has, the worse their records get' 3 Razzmatazz Ah, schadenfreude.
From The Guardian • Jun. 24, 2015
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.
