adjective
-
gaudy, flashy, or ostentatious
-
making a brilliant or imposing display
Related Words
Other Word Forms
- showily adverb
- showiness noun
- unshowy adjective
Etymology
Origin of showy
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.
"He was not showy and maybe that was to the detriment of his legacy but I hope people will start to recognise him a little more than maybe he has been so far."
From BBC • Feb. 15, 2026
“These lean, scrappy plants are rarely as showy as their ornamental cousins, but when it comes to fragrance, they win every award, hands down,” she wrote.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 9, 2026
Cooking the fish “en papillote” makes for a showy presentation, but is actually a breeze to do.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 24, 2026
Mangold has a showy falsetto that heightens Noah’s vulnerable longing, but the duets with Cheers’ Allie aren’t lyrically sophisticated enough to provide the relationship with much depth.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 9, 2026
He also enjoyed the showy, queer beauty of his horse.
From "Johnny Tremain" by Esther Hoskins Forbes
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.
