different between flashy vs ostentatious

English

Etymology

flash +? -y

Pronunciation

• enPR: fl?sh'?, IPA^(key): /?flæ?i/

• Rhymes: -æ?i

Adjective

flashy (comparative flashier, superlative flashiest)

1. Showy; visually impressive, attention-getting, or appealing.

   The dancers wore flashy costumes featuring shiny sequins in many vibrant colors.

2. (dated, poetic) Flashing; producing flashes.

   a flashy light

   • 1826, Benjamin Apthorp Gould, The Works of Vergil: Translated into English Prose

     […] the accustomed warmth pierced his marrow, and ran thrilling through his shaken bones; just as when at times, with forked thunder burst, a chinky stream of fire in flashy lightning shoots athwart the skies.

3. (archaic) Drunk; tipsy

Synonyms

• (visually impressive): See also Thesaurus:gaudy
• (producing flashes): blinking, fulgorous
• (drunk): See also Thesaurus:drunk

Translations

Anagrams

• fly ash

English

Etymology

Originated 1650–60; ostentation +? -ious.

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /??s.t?n?te?.??s/, /??s.t?n?te?.??s/
• Rhymes: -e???s

Adjective

ostentatious (comparative more ostentatious, superlative most ostentatious)

1. Of ostentation.
2. Intended to attract notice.
3. Of tawdry display; kitsch.

Synonyms

• (tawdry): Thesaurus:gaudy

Derived terms

• ostensible
• ostensive

Translations

References

• “ostentatious”, in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin, 2000, ?ISBN
• “ostentatious” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.
• "ostentatious" in WordNet 2.0, Princeton University, 2003.