gaudy

adjective

ˈgȯ-dē How to pronounce gaudy (audio)
Definition of gaudynext
as in loud
excessively showy gaudy decorations on all the doors and windows at festival time

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective gaudy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of gaudy are flashy, garish, meretricious, and tawdry. While all these words mean "vulgarly or cheaply showy," gaudy implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation.

circus performers in gaudy costumes

When could flashy be used to replace gaudy?

The words flashy and gaudy are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, flashy implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar.

a flashy nightclub act

When is garish a more appropriate choice than gaudy?

While in some cases nearly identical to gaudy, garish describes what is distressingly or offensively bright.

garish neon signs

Where would meretricious be a reasonable alternative to gaudy?

The synonyms meretricious and gaudy are sometimes interchangeable, but meretricious stresses falsity and may describe a tawdry show that beckons with a false allure or promise.

a meretricious wasteland of casinos and bars

When is it sensible to use tawdry instead of gaudy?

In some situations, the words tawdry and gaudy are roughly equivalent. However, tawdry applies to what is at once gaudy and cheap and sleazy.

tawdry saloons

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of gaudy The crafty wolf often relies on gaudy disguises to accomplish his schemes. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 24 Aug. 2026 All this scattershot world-building and world-visiting allows for some colorfully diverting vignettes, in which production designer Alexandra Walker and costume designer Ann Maskrey get to show off their giddy, gaudy wares. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 22 Aug. 2026 Beyond gaudy numbers and a long scroll of awards and achievements, Nelson was one of the most colorful and compelling coaches to grace the Bay Area in any professional sport. — Carl Steward, Mercury News, 9 Aug. 2026 The subsidy headlined a gaudy incentive package offering property and sales tax exemptions, discount electricity and payments for infrastructure in exchange for about 9,000 jobs. — Mark Dee august 2, Idaho Statesman, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for gaudy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gaudy
  1. loud
  2. noisy
  3. garish
  4. flashy
Adjective
  • The satiety and blood-sugar argument keeps getting louder from clinicians.
    — Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Rooms All 195 rooms are dressed in a soft gray and blue palette, and the energy is calm and soothing after a day in one of the loudest parts of Manhattan.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
Definition of loud
Adjective
  • The household surveys always noisy, but this is very, very large.
    — , CNBC, 28 Aug. 2026
  • For three decades, in an increasingly noisy and stress-filled world, Miraval Arizona has embraced its philosophy of Life in Balance, pioneering the concept of transformative wellbeing through mindfulness.
    — Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of noisy
Adjective
  • Steps away, other Israeli activists fashion animals out of balloons, while a couple in garish wigs and clown makeup wildly wave their arms in a routine that prompts roars of laughter.
    — Dina Kraft, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Aug. 2026
  • The animation emphasizes fidelity to the original show and the time period’s garish aesthetic in general, for a show that, more than almost any film, truly feels like picking up and reading five random issues of a comic run from 30 years ago.
    — Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of garish
Adjective
  • Those questions may not be as flashy as a school's ranking or acceptance rate.
    — Jason St. Angelo, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The band's social presence, while not flashy, has stayed consistent across Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and its website, anchored by a pre-save link for the album and steady single rollout content.
    — Olivia Shalhoup, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of flashy

Browse Nearby Words

gauds
gaudy
gauge
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Cite this Entry

“Gaudy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gaudy. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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