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ostentatious

ˌɑːstɛnˈteɪʃəsadjective

What does ostentatious mean?

Showy in a way meant to impress people.

Ostentatious, six ways

PlainShowy in a way meant to impress people.
ADHDShowing off. Loud money. Look at me.
Gen ZFlexing so hard it stops being impressive.
MetaphorA gold frame on a mirror.
FormalCharacterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice.
Like I’m 5Showing off something fancy so everyone will look. That’s ostentatious.

How to pronounce ostentatious

os-ten-TAY-shus/ˌɑːstɛnˈteɪʃəs/

Ostentatious in a sentence

The lobby was ostentatious, all marble and gold.
An ostentatious watch, worn over the cuff.
The architecture is ostentatious by design.

Synonyms for ostentatious

showyPlainer.
flashyCasual and loud.
pretentiousClaiming more importance than it has.

Where ostentatious comes from

Latin. Ostentare, to display, from ostendere, to show.

Good to know

Ostentatious is display meant to impress. Pretentious is about claims; ostentatious is about show.

Ostentatious meaning, on a Gloss card: Showy in a way meant to impress people.

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