adjective
Synonym Usage
See gaudy 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of garish
1535–45; earlier gaurish, perhaps equivalent to obsolete gaure “to stare” ( Middle English gauren, from Old Norse ) + -ish 1
Explanation
Use the adjective garish to describe something that is overly vivid, bright, showy, and in bad taste — like the DJ's garish outfit that is a flashback to the disco era. Garish comes to English from the Old Norse word gaurr, meaning "rough fellow." It is often used to describe colors, clothing, decorations, and other things that can be elegant and tasteful. Because the word connotes bad taste, however, it is rarely used in a complimentary way. If you say to your friend, "I like your garish hair and makeup," she is not likely to take it well, unless, of course, you are going to a 70s flashback party.
Vocabulary lists containing garish
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Romeo and Juliet
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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.
There are few things a Los Angeles local is less likely to do than take a Hollywood sightseeing tour on a big, garish bus.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Picture an abandoned, windowless yellow room with garish fluorescent lights.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 6, 2026
The clips are garish and not subtle at all - but that hasn't put a dent in how vigorously people are sharing and commenting on them.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
Dozens of stores selling fireworks resembling flamethrowers and packaged in garish boxes saw little foot traffic on a weekday morning.
From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026
I walk past a potted plant with a garish flower blossoming among its branches, and toward the dormitory that has become our temporary home here.
From "Allegiant" by Veronica Roth
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.
