flashy
Americanadjective
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sparkling or brilliant, especially in a superficial way or for the moment.
a flashy performance.
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ostentatiously or vulgarly smart; showy; gaudy.
flashy clothes.
adjective
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brilliant and dazzling, esp for a short time or in a superficial way
-
cheap and ostentatious
Related Words
See gaudy 1.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of flashy
Explanation
To be flashy is to be showy in a tasteless way. Just like a flash of light is hard to ignore, flashy behavior draws attention. Do you know anyone who is a show-off? That person is probably flashy. Wearing brightly colored rings is flashy. Buying a sports car is flashy. Boasting about how much money you have is flashy. Flashy behavior is the opposite of classy: it consists of showing off things in a loud, obnoxious way.
Vocabulary lists containing flashy
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
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Long Way Down
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Because of Mr. Terupt
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
One must wonder whether these flashy ads do more to stoke his base rather than convince the massive number of undecided voters frustrated with Bass to join his cause.
From Los Angeles Times • May 6, 2026
In a year when the flashy weddings of celebrity couples like Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, and Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, filled social media feeds, the ceremony Kiara planned caught people’s attention.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
That is also pushing up the cost of less flashy chips used in consumer electronics -- threatening higher prices for phones, laptops and other devices worldwide.
From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026
New, flashy headlines fly across screens every few hours.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 28, 2026
“Let us be thought over-much plain and simple, even bare, rather than gaudy, flashy, cheap and meretricious. Let us manifest the taste of gentlemen.”
From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.