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 Any reservations the guests may have about Melmotte’s background, which was reputed to include shady deals on the European continent, fall away in the presence of his ostentatious displays of wealth. John Cassidy, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 The show’s beating heart is Cumming, who peacocks across the Scottish Highlands in ostentatious costumes while delivering one game show twist after the next. Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 29 Jan. 2026 Dell is not trying to be ostentatious. Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 23 Jan. 2026 Besides, $500 gets you a pretty decent phone these days — without ostentatious gold and a close affiliation with a president who has a decades-long track record of launching and sinking well over a dozen businesses. Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 7 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for ostentatious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ostentatious
Adjective
  • Sometimes the world is just too busy and loud!
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Like tens of thousands across the country, Steve Kerr is a loud and proud supporter of his alma mater during March Madness.
    Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • The rabbi is ornery, arrogant, sometimes cruel.
    Daniel Felsenthal, Vulture, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Those leaders who ignore or flout the law aren’t merely unethical but fatally arrogant, putting their childish willfulness over the wisdom of generations.
    David Brooks, The Atlantic, 25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The experience of Gando will also enrich a timber day-care center now going up on a noisy street in Munich.
    Justin Davidson, Curbed, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Greg Bovino, Border Patrol’s former commander at large, with the big coat that definitely does not give off a Nazi vibe, got one of the noisiest, rock-star receptions at CPAC when he was brought on stage by podcaster Benny Johnson.
    Rob Crilly, The Washington Examiner, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Consider setting aside grandiose ambitions for the moment and taking a break to do something active with your hands.
    Tarot.com, New York Daily News, 31 Mar. 2026
  • The grandiose space’s massive stage and high-caliber lighting rigs promise extravagant parties and ceremonies that will light up the city’s social calendar.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 30 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The coin, which breaks with the country’s longstanding tradition of not featuring a living person on its currency, joins a swiftly growing list of other Trumpian imprints on arts and culture, including architectural choices deemed gaudy and garish by experts and laypeople alike.
    Arts Editor, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
  • The Racers live up to their name with fast pace and gaudy point totals.
    Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • The service Finessed but friendly, high touch but never pretentious.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Mar. 2026
  • Dim lights, a chic elegant interior, a chatty and trendy crowd, a menu that’s sophisticated but not too pretentious, and a welcoming bar (plus a little je ne sais quoi) are to be expected.
    Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 16 Mar. 2026
Adjective
  • Luvme designates this tier, which comprises the vast majority of the brand’s wig offerings on the site, as the quintessential selection for first-time wig buyers and value-savvy shoppers seeking exceptional quality, resilience, and an impeccable, manageable finish without the extravagant price tag.
    Noel Cymone Walker, StyleCaster, 1 Apr. 2026
  • Other highlights include a spa steeped in ancient Roman thermal rituals and an extravagant ballroom for events.
    Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 31 Mar. 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 6 Apr. 2026.

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