Synonyms of gaudy

gaudy

adjective

ˈgȯ-dē 

as in loud

excessively showy

gaudy decorations on all the doors and windows at festival time

Synonyms & Similar Words

• loud
• noisy
• garish
• flashy
• extravagant
• ornate
• ostentatious
• flamboyant
• glitzy
• excessive
• flaring
• swanky
• fancy
• splashy
• swank
• razzle-dazzle
• over-the-top
• bright
• overwrought
• baroque
• pretentious
• spectacular
• glaring
• fulsome
• snazzy
• hammy
• tawdry
• tacky
• overdone
• florid
• glittery
• lurid
• vulgar
• blaring
• bedizened
• inelegant
• tasteless
• overbright
• tinselly
• graceless
• zooty

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• appropriate
• conservative
• understated
• quiet
• proper
• fitting
• inconspicuous
• subdued
• unflashy
• elegant
• unobtrusive
• muted
• restrained
• unflamboyant
• tasteful
• graceful
• plain
• toned (down)
• modest
• simple
• unpretentious

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

Examples Sentences

Recent Examples of gaudy

To introduce a villain that so overtly reflects its heroes’ flaws is nothing short of a comic-book-superhero flourish, which is fitting, given how much Ryoo’s seedy vision of metropolitan South Korea this time around resembles the gaudy depths of Gotham City. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 17 Sep. 2024

Both Annette as a character and Curtis’ pantomime take on her jolt us out of a movie Coppola has clearly conceived as a soulful, sensitive alternative to gaudy screen depictions of similar milieus, like Showgirls and Burlesque. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 7 Sep. 2024

This hibiscus is not anywhere near as gaudy as the familiar Chinese hibiscus whose flowers appear in brilliant red, pink, orange, or yellow. —Joshua Siskin, Orange County Register, 10 Aug. 2024

Saturday’s showcase comes on the heels of another gaudy performance by Clark, who set a WNBA record with 19 assists in a game Wednesday against the Dallas Wings. —Glynn A. Hill, Washington Post, 20 July 2024