showier; showiest
1
: making an attractive show : striking
a showy orchid
2
: given to or marked by a flashy often tasteless display
showily adverb
showiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for showy

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

Examples of showy in a Sentence

Perhaps you should wear something a little less showy. orchid plants are known for their huge showy flowers
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In the primary suite, the chatelaine’s dressing room is a fashionista’s dream with a showy display for her shoes, in which every pair is presented like jewelry on a backlit white onyx Goldshire background. Tori Latham, Robb Report, 20 Mar. 2025 The main stairs lead up to a duplex designed as a rental, with a loggia over 49th Street and a showy centerpiece: a curving staircase with a chrome handrail designed by Sanders, who also designed tubular chrome furniture. Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 20 Mar. 2025 Under pressure to demonstrate to Ukraine’s ficklest allies that Ukraine still has reserves of strength and the capacity to keep fighting, Zelensky and his top generals have done the showy thing: formed new brigades. David Axe, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025 Marvel Studios/Disney+ Ars Technica: The city is very much a character, not just a showy backdrop. ArsTechnica, 8 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for showy

Word History

First Known Use

1697, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of showy was in 1697

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Showy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/showy. Accessed 1 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

showy

adjective
showier; showiest
1
: attracting attention : striking
showy blossoms
2
: given to or marked by much outward display : gaudy
showy jewelry
showily adverb
showiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on showy

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