flashy

adjective

ˈfla-shē How to pronounce flashy (audio)
Definition of flashynext
1
as in stylish
attractively eye-catching in style I bought a flashy new car as soon as I got my first paycheck

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in loud
excessively showy wore flashy rings on almost all the fingers of his left hand

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective flashy contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of flashy are garish, gaudy, meretricious, and tawdry. While all these words mean "vulgarly or cheaply showy," flashy implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar.

a flashy nightclub act

When can garish be used instead of flashy?

Although the words garish and flashy have much in common, garish describes what is distressingly or offensively bright.

garish neon signs

When is it sensible to use gaudy instead of flashy?

The meanings of gaudy and flashy largely overlap; however, gaudy implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation.

circus performers in gaudy costumes

When might meretricious be a better fit than flashy?

The synonyms meretricious and flashy 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 would tawdry be a good substitute for flashy?

In some situations, the words tawdry and flashy are roughly equivalent. However, tawdry applies to what is at once gaudy and cheap and sleazy.

tawdry saloons

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 flashy His flashiest assists were offset by foolhardy turnovers. —Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 10 Mar. 2025 Neither gravitates toward the flashier aspects of the virtuoso life style. —Alex Ross, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 Those chasing flashy marketing will be left behind. —Lutz Finger, Forbes, 10 Mar. 2025 Strategic workforce management isn’t about slashing headcount for the sake of flashy cost-cutting. —Sherzod Odilov, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for flashy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flashy
  1. stylish
  2. loud
  3. snazzy
  4. noisy
  5. fashionable
  6. gaudy
  7. neat
  8. cool
Adjective
  • Function is priority, but practical can be stylish.
    — Footwear News, Footwear News, 20 May 2025
  • With deals like $100 off of a stylish firepit table from our own BHG x Walmart line, nearly 60% for an outdoor griddle, and 40% off patio dining sets, Walmart’s patio furniture deals equal huge savings just ahead of Memorial Day weekend.
    — Paige Bennett, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 May 2025
Definition of stylish
Adjective
  • Arrowhead first set the Guinness world record for loudest stadium in 2013.
    — Nate Taylor, New York Times, 30 May 2025
  • Polite applause follows each performance, with occasional loud cheering and outbursts of awe.
    — Melanie Stetson Freeman, Christian Science Monitor, 29 May 2025
Definition of loud
Adjective
  • Something delicate and silver, that goes almost anywhere for evening, or to almost any snazzy daytime event.
    — Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 18 May 2025
  • The soundtrack is built from widely recognizable classic rock songs, and the opening title sequence (with a theme written by Abrams himself) is a snazzy tone-setter clearly inspired by Hot Wheels.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 15 May 2025
Definition of snazzy
Adjective
  • At a 78th Cannes, which on the party side wasn’t as noisy as previous ones with drone shows (2022’s Elvis) and Elton John performing on the beach (2019’s Rocketman), leave it to amfAR‘s 31st fashionista blowout Cannes Gala at Hotel Du Cap at Eden Roc to steal the show.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 23 May 2025
  • Hike in groups: A group is noisier and smellier, the National Park Service said.
    — Helena Wegner, Sacbee.com, 23 May 2025
Definition of noisy
Adjective
  • Original price: $40 (Abercrombie & Fitch) A fashionable, heavyweight cropped tee from Abercrombie & Fitch is the definition of style meets comfort.
    — Christopher Murray may earn a commission if you buy through our referral links. This content was created by a team that works independently from the Fox newsroom., FOXNews.com, 23 May 2025
  • The Pitch Perfect actress played the flamboyantly fashionable Capitol chaperone for all four Hunger Games films until 2015.
    — Emily Blackwood, People.com, 22 May 2025
Definition of fashionable
Adjective
  • In an incisive observation of the way that an adult’s words can sometimes settle on a child with unusual weight, I-Jing absorbs this folk superstition without question, and begins to shoplift gaudy trinkets from surrounding market stalls, only ever using her evil left hand.
    — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 15 May 2025
  • Kentucky’s Andy Beshear boasts a positively gaudy 68% approval rating in his deep-red state, the highest of any Democratic governor in the country, according to Morning Consult’s nationwide survey.
    — Mark Z. Barabak, Los Angeles Times, 8 May 2025
Definition of gaudy
Adjective
  • All five are exceptional and function equally well when served neat or as a cocktail base.
    — Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 24 May 2025
  • The instruction booklet is thorough, and filled with lots of neat science titbits and facts too.
    — Ian Stokes, Space.com, 23 May 2025
Definition of neat
Adjective
  • Other options that will keep you cool yet still looking polished this summer are a pair of pleated shorts from Quince or a linen-blend pair of Bermuda shorts from Mango. Wide-leg Jeans Jeans might seem like a surprising addition to a summer packing list, but a loose, wide-leg pair makes sense.
    — Kelsey Glennon, Travel + Leisure, 31 May 2025
  • Old towels cut up into rags do a great job of removing this soft flux once the copper pipe is cool enough to touch.
    — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 31 May 2025
Definition of cool

Browse Nearby Words

flash points
flashy
flask
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Cite this Entry

“Flashy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flashy. Accessed 3 Jun. 2025.

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