flashy

adjective

ˈfla-shē 

flashier; flashiest

1

chiefly dialectal : lacking in substance or flavor : insipid

2

: momentarily dazzling

3

a

: superficially attractive or impressive

b

: ostentatious or showy often beyond the bounds of good taste

especially : marked by gaudy brightness

flashily

ˈfla-shə-lē 

adverb

flashiness

ˈfla-shē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• jazzy
• pizzazzy
• pizazzy
• snazzy
• splashy

Choose the Right Synonym for flashy

gaudy, tawdry, garish, flashy, meretricious mean vulgarly or cheaply showy.

gaudy implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation.

circus performers in gaudy costumes

tawdry applies to what is at once gaudy and cheap and sleazy.

tawdry saloons

garish describes what is distressingly or offensively bright.

garish neon signs

flashy implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar.

a flashy nightclub act

meretricious stresses falsity and may describe a tawdry show that beckons with a false allure or promise.

a meretricious wasteland of casinos and bars

Examples of flashy in a Sentence

rich young men who drive flashy cars

I bought the CD primarily for its flashy cover design.

Recent Examples on the Web

While its interior design is less flashy than rivals from Ferrari and Lamborghini, the aesthetic is pleasing, and outward visibility is excellent. —Eric Stafford, Car and Driver, 6 Jan. 2023

If McCarthy falls shorts, that hands leverage to people are every bit as extreme as Greene, though slightly less flashy about it—Andy Biggs, Paul Gosar, and Matt Gaetz. —Michael Tomasky, The New Republic, 3 Jan. 2023

This multi-colored high-low skirt will level up your style game and adds interest without being overly flashy. —Sophie Dweck, Town & Country, 28 Dec. 2022

Grassetti explains that the biggest difference between designing Greek and Norse gods is that, historically, the latter were not nearly as flashy. —George Yang, Variety, 11 Nov. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1593, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

flashy

adjective

ˈflash-ē 

flashier; flashiest

: gaudy

flashily

ˈflash-ə-lē 

adverb

flashiness

ˈflash-ē-nəs 

noun