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Synonym Chooser

How is the word ostentatious different from other adjectives like it?

The words pretentious and showy are common synonyms of ostentatious. While all three words mean "given to excessive outward display," ostentatious stresses vainglorious display or parade.

the ostentatious summer homes of the rich

When is it sensible to use pretentious instead of ostentatious?

The synonyms pretentious and ostentatious are sometimes interchangeable, but pretentious implies an appearance of importance not justified by the thing's value or the person's standing.

a pretentious parade of hard words

When could showy be used to replace ostentatious?

The words showy and ostentatious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, showy implies an imposing or striking appearance but usually suggests cheapness or poor taste.

the performers' showy costumes

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 ostentatious During its heyday, the light yellow was warming, but not as potentially ostentatious as gold. R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025 Lamborghinis ostentatious, Corvettes simplistic, BMWs arrogant. Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2025 Overblown, ostentatious hybrids of classical and local styles, kitschily ornamented with classical detail, all on a scale meant to be overwhelming rather than inviting—that’s what Big Brother’s city hall always looks like. Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 6 Sep. 2025 Now, the Chinese leader is set to exhibit a very different image with an ostentatious show of military might. Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 2 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for ostentatious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostentatious
Adjective
  • Calls for the United States to return astronauts to the moon before the end of the decade have been increasingly loud and frequent, emanating from bipartisan lawmakers and science advocates alike.
    Jackie Wattles, CNN Money, 12 Oct. 2025
  • Los Angeles Rams kicker Joshua Karty’s field-goal attempt went off the right upright and made one of the loudest doinks of the season, creating a buzz among NFL fans on Sunday.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • Jackson returns as Wes Bryant, a handsome, intelligent, but arrogant man who had just moved to Seattle and was revealed to be a new medical intern at Grey Sloan.
    Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 9 Oct. 2025
  • Jack Cutmore-Scott as Julius Beaufort, an arrogant new money banker at the center of New York society with an interest in Ellen.
    Joe Otterson, Variety, 2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • The boycott has been FWP’s noisiest campaign to date, attracting the support of stars, including Andrew Garfield, Omar Sy, and Olivia Colman.
    Jake Kanter, Deadline, 10 Oct. 2025
  • Those reports came his way all the same, especially when William made a noisy 1782 return to London.
    Stacy Schiff, The Atlantic, 8 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But their return isn’t just a callback to the grandiose synth-bangers of 1989 or warehouse-ready electric grit of Reputation.
    Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 3 Oct. 2025
  • Government buildings in Moscow and grandiose Ministry of Defense infrastructure could become open targets.
    Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 30 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Yet even this make-do meal felt extravagant.
    Reem Kassis, The Atlantic, 11 Oct. 2025
  • Condon created his newest adaptation by blending the novel's grittiness and its extravagant Broadway adaptation, effectively taking audiences on a journey between reality and fantasy.
    Nicole Acevedo, NBC news, 9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • But that doesn’t mean the iconic duo is too pretentious to visit the local pubs from time to time, according to a 2023 Allure interview.
    Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 9 Oct. 2025
  • And though all of Anderson’s artistry and jittery comedic sensibility is present, the director hasn’t created a pretentious version of an action flick; One Battle After Another is the real thing, filled with beautifully shot car chases and shoot-outs.
    David Sims, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2025
Adjective
  • Her gaudy sales numbers mirror her Eras Tour live statistics, which were similarly Barry-Bonds-on-steroids margins beyond other successful stadium artists.
    Eric Renner Brown, Billboard, 14 Oct. 2025
  • The Panthers have allowed opposing quarterbacks to play well outside of the Falcons’ Michael Penix in Week 3, but even then, the opposing QBs’ numbers haven’t been all that gaudy.
    Mike Kaye, Charlotte Observer, 5 Oct. 2025
Adjective
  • While The Morning Show presents the news business as glossy and glamorous (and often a little pompous), The Paper takes the opposite view with the documentary crew from The Office now focusing on a dying newspaper in Ohio.
    Emma Alpern, Vulture, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Guigal’s strategy isn’t built on pompous conservatism, but in long-term thinking.
    Paul Caputo, Forbes.com, 22 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Ostentatious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostentatious. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.

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