showy

[shoh-ee]

adjective

showier, showiest 

1. making an imposing display.

   showy flowers.

2. pompous; ostentatious; gaudy.

   Synonyms: loud
   Antonyms: humble

showy

/ ˈʃəʊɪ /

adjective

1. gaudy, flashy, or ostentatious

2. making a brilliant or imposing display

Other Word Forms

• unshowy adjective
• showiness noun
• showily adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of showy¹

First recorded in 1705–15; show + -y ¹

Synonym Study

See gaudy ¹, grandiose.

Example Sentences

Yes: Alcaraz is the faster, showier player, capable of mad sprints to pull out improbable winners, but Sinner’s developed real range.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

In his book on the Gettysburg Address, Garry Wills judged the address “comic,” “showy” and “labored.”

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But this was the least showy pop show I’ve seen in years.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Maybe it’s happiest tucked into a cast-iron skillet, going golden and jammy while the showier types preen in their baskets.

Read more on Salon

Three seasons after George and Bertha carted their majestic plunder from Old Europe into their showy manse, they’ve laid claim to New York society.

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Related Words

• classy 
• garish 
• gaudy 
• ornate 
• ostentatious 
• pretentious 
• sensational 
• splashy