Meaning & use

ostentatious

adjective·Advanced

Designed to impress others by showing off wealth, knowledge, or possessions in an obvious way.

See it in a sentence

The couple's ostentatious mansion had gold fixtures in nearly every room.

He made an ostentatious display of tipping the waiter far more than necessary.

A note on using this word

Ostentatious always has a negative tone, suggesting a display that is excessive or tasteless rather than merely impressive.

Words with a similar meaning

showyflashypretentious

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

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