garish

adjective

gar·​ish ˈger-ish 

1

: clothed in vivid colors

a garish clown

2

a

: excessively or disturbingly vivid

garish colors

garish imagery

b

: offensively or distressingly bright : glaring

3

: tastelessly showy : flashy

garish neon signs

garishly adverb

garishness noun

Synonyms

• flamboyant
• flaring
• flashy
• gaudy
• glitzy
• loud
• noisy
• ostentatious
• razzle-dazzle
• splashy
• swank
• swanky

Choose the Right Synonym for garish

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 garish in a Sentence

the wedding guest's thick makeup was garish and unnecessary

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead it’s been turned into a pantomime with outlandishly garish costumes. —Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 20 Dec. 2024

Her public identity was forged in the era of velour sweats and garish trucker hats. —Mikey O'Connell, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Dec. 2024

Sure, part two of Emily in Paris season four dropped in September, but Collins broke away from her character’s delightfully garish aesthetic—which is mostly delightful in limited, 10-episode doses—well before that press tour, starting with her dramatic chop in June. —Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 2 Dec. 2024

Despite their somewhat garish appearance, the hotels’ design reflects their function. —Oscar Holland, CNN, 21 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

garish

adjective

gar·​ish ˈga(ə)r-ish 

ˈge(ə)r-

: too bright or showy : gaudy

garishly adverb

garishness noun