Definition of ostentatiousnext
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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 Meticulous and never ostentatious, his work displays refined elegance, luxurious detailing, exacting craftsmanship, historical references, and a sumptuous materiality. Jennifer Baum Lagdameo, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2026 Set to a jazzy score and shot on the streets, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York is filled with life, though not in an ostentatious, masquerading way. Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 19 Feb. 2026 In fact, director William Wyler’s 1939 Hollywood adaptation — with its ostentatious outfits and romantic focus — feels like a better companion piece than the original literary source material. Leah Dolan, CNN Money, 12 Feb. 2026 The series retains its fondness for rapid-fire, near-impenetrable finance jargon and for ostentatious literary quotations—the product, we’re meant to assume, of the characters’ otherwise wasted Oxbridge educations. Inkoo Kang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ostentatious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostentatious
Adjective
  • And still, Goodell was greeted by a loud chorus of boos.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Jeffrey Spadjinske, police were called to the meeting on the report that individuals in attendance were being loud and disruptive.
    Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The series has devolved into a hysteria that the young and arrogant Timberwolves feed on since that first quarter of Game 2.
    Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 26 Apr. 2026
  • However, many thought Tilson Thomas too brash and arrogant to lead an orchestra, and, around the same time, Tilson Thomas fell in with New York’s disco-hopping crowd.
    Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • This means no two sensors are exactly alike, leading to noisy data and inconsistent results.
    Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Lesser known but notably noisier acts were relegated to another section of the grounds, where the Diablo Stage stood, attracting non-stop aggressive movement.
    Lina Lecaro, Rolling Stone, 27 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Fuqua specifically used the historic hotel's grandiose architecture to set the scene for various scenes involving Michael's press and public appearances.
    Staff Author, PEOPLE, 29 Apr. 2026
  • The first type is replete with hallucinations and delusions—voices, visions, grandiose beliefs, paranoia.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Both these cousins grow to a comparable size and shape about 15 to 20 feet tall and wide, and combine gaudy spring flowers with scarlet and crimson fall foliage.
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 15 Apr. 2026
  • The neighbors of the Highland Park mansion once owned by MJ now have flexed their muscle not once but twice at proposals to repurpose the gaudy property for something other than a one-family occupier living therein.
    The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • Drenched in designer labels and working at the house of Christian Dior, Blunt’s Emily has become the pretentious partner of a billionaire tech mogul played by Justin Theroux, sources said.
    Matt Donnelly, Variety, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Miss Manners is exasperated when people consider etiquette pretentious for supplying the necessary tools to get food to mouth.
    Judith Martin, Mercury News, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • While the crowd left with free T-shirts, the Spurs received more extravagant clothing from Kelly Olynyk, who celebrated his 35th birthday Sunday by handing out gifts.
    ABC News, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
  • What was your most extravagant impulse purchase?
    Avery Newmark, AJC.com, 20 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • And the less said of the poorly mixed, pompous Machina, the better.
    Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 3 Mar. 2026
  • The pompous clergyman enters the life of the Bennet family, his distant cousins, with the assumption that, given his respectable position and benefactor, Lady Catherine De Bourgh, one of those daughters would be happy to marry him.
    Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 26 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Ostentatious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ostentatious. Accessed 2 May. 2026.

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