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ostentatious

adjective

os·​ten·​ta·​tious ˌä-stən-ˈtā-shəs How to pronounce ostentatious (audio)
: attracting or seeking to attract attention, admiration, or envy often by gaudiness or obviousness : overly elaborate or conspicuous : characterized by, fond of, or evincing ostentation
an ostentatious display of wealth/knowledge
The power of the government was present … but it did not express itself in large and ostentatious buildings. Albert Hourani
ostentatiously adverb
ostentatiousness noun

Did you know?

Showy, pretentious, and ostentatious all mean "given to outward display," but there are subtle differences in their meanings. Showy implies an imposing or striking appearance, but usually also implies cheapness or bad taste. Pretentious suggests an appearance of importance not justified by a thing's value or a person's standing. Ostentatious is the biggest show-off, stressing the vanity of the display. English speakers derived ostentatious from the noun ostentation, which can be traced back, via Middle French, to the Latin verb ostentare (meaning "to display"), a frequentative form of the verb ostendere, meaning "to show."

Did you know?

How is ostentatious used?

Ostentatious comes from a Latin word meaning "display," and the idea of display is still very apparent in the English word as it is currently used.

People and things described as ostentatious seem to have put themselves on display; they are practically begging to be looked at. The word is not compliment.

Ostentatious is often applied to buildings that can also be described as luxurious—mansions, fancy high-rises, huge houses with marble columns. Sometimes the description appears in the negative, as when we're told that a house is large, but not ostentatious, which means that it's large but not in a way that calls attention to itself. When the word is applied to objects like clothes and jewelry, the idea is the same: such items attract attention for the luxury they imply.

People who are described as ostentatious—or who have lifestyles described as such—typically are seen as spending money in a way that makes it clear that they have a lot of it. Their consumption may also be described with the word, in which case the emphasis is on the impressive things they buy.

Less often, ostentatious is applied to what attracts attention not because of an implied luxury but because of some other quality. Someone's boastful declarations about volunteer work may be described, for example, as ostentatious.

Choose the Right Synonym for ostentatious

showy, pretentious, ostentatious mean given to excessive outward display.

showy implies an imposing or striking appearance but usually suggests cheapness or poor taste.

the performers' showy costumes

pretentious implies an appearance of importance not justified by the thing's value or the person's standing.

a pretentious parade of hard words

ostentatious stresses vainglorious display or parade.

the ostentatious summer homes of the rich

Example Sentences

That pompous excuse for a plush ride is a thumb in the eye to every taxpayer—and in the case of an ostentatious cost-cutter, genuine hypocrisy. William Safire, New York Times, 2 May 1991 Always proud to sit down with an ice-cold beer in my hand, I was ostentatious about it in town. Mark Helprin, New Yorker, 30 May 1988 She had driven to Prague from the Netherlands in her Porsche, telling friends she didn't give a hoot how ostentatious she might appear to the comrades. Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 4 Aug. 1986 an ostentatious display of knowledge wears an ostentatious diamond ring on his little finger
Recent Examples on the Web Across media, the clichéd formulation appeared in descriptions of actress Sheryl Lee Ralph’s ostentatious acceptance speech for Best Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series. Armond White, National Review, 14 Sep. 2022 This Versace model, though, manages to hold on to a sense of cool without being too ostentatious. Thomas Hindle, The Hollywood Reporter, 15 July 2022 Cohn’s suits were gloriously ostentatious, with rhinestones, fringe and leather patchwork. Amanda Petrusich, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2022 While ostentatious wealth-signaling is definitely a thing in our society, there are any number of pro athletes whose vehicle choice is less aggro. Joe Lindsey, Outside Online, 3 Aug. 2022 The memorial had to be low-key because Coutts wouldn't have been happy with something ostentatious, said his wife Carol Coutts. Alex Groth, Journal Sentinel, 2 Aug. 2022 Gone, for now, are the big rallies, with their open calls for violence and ostentatious displays of military-style kit, and many of those who organized them. New York Times, 19 July 2022 During the warmer months, the hotel's seasonal beach club and seaside restaurant, a few minutes drive away in nearby Gruissan, conjure something of the Côte d'Azur's belle vie sun-and-sea vibe -- without any of its ostentatious bling. Terry Ward, CNN, 7 July 2022 The two-story stone building is beautifully grand but not ostentatious, with a series of stately archways that perfectly framed an approaching giraffe named Lily later that morning. Kathryn Romeyn, Travel + Leisure, 17 June 2022 See More

Word History

Etymology

see ostentation

First Known Use

1590, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ostentatious was in 1590

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