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ostentatious

adjective
os·​ten·​ta·​tious | \ ˌä-stən-ˈtā-shəs How to pronounce ostentatious (audio) \

Definition of ostentatious

: attracting or seeking to attract attention, admiration, or envy often by gaudiness or obviousness : overly elaborate or conspicuous : characterized by, fond of, or evincing ostentation an ostentatious display of wealth/knowledge The power of the government was present … but it did not express itself in large and ostentatious buildings.— Albert Hourani
Other Words from ostentatious Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym How is ostentatious used? More Example Sentences Learn More about ostentatious

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Other Words from ostentatious

ostentatiously adverb
ostentatiousness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for ostentatious

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

How is ostentatious used?

Ostentatious comes from a Latin word meaning "display," and the idea of display is still very apparent in the English word as it is currently used.

People and things described as ostentatious seem to have put themselves on display; they are practically begging to be looked at. The word is not compliment.

Ostentatious is often applied to buildings that can also be described as luxurious—mansions, fancy high-rises, huge houses with marble columns. Sometimes the description appears in the negative, as when we're told that a house is large, but not ostentatious, which means that it's large but not in a way that calls attention to itself. When the word is applied to objects like clothes and jewelry, the idea is the same: such items attract attention for the luxury they imply.

People who are described as ostentatious—or who have lifestyles described as such—typically are seen as spending money in a way that makes it clear that they have a lot of it. Their consumption may also be described with the word, in which case the emphasis is on the impressive things they buy.

Less often, ostentatious is applied to what attracts attention not because of an implied luxury but because of some other quality. Someone's boastful declarations about volunteer work may be described, for example, as ostentatious.

Examples of ostentatious in a Sentence

That pompous excuse for a plush ride is a thumb in the eye to every taxpayer—and in the case of an ostentatious cost-cutter, genuine hypocrisy. — William Safire, New York Times, 2 May 1991 Always proud to sit down with an ice-cold beer in my hand, I was ostentatious about it in town. — Mark Helprin, New Yorker, 30 May 1988 She had driven to Prague from the Netherlands in her Porsche, telling friends she didn't give a hoot how ostentatious she might appear to the comrades. — Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 4 Aug. 1986 an ostentatious display of knowledge wears an ostentatious diamond ring on his little finger
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Recent Examples on the Web

 There are plenty of other ostentatious examples of how colleges, public and private, spend way too much money on questionable priorities. — Eric Scott, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Spending sprees stray from colleges’ true missions," 31 Aug. 2019 The announcement is the latest development in the case of Donald Neely, 43, whose ostentatious Aug. 3 arrest on a misdemeanor criminal trespassing charge drew widespread condemnation. — Washington Post, "Police seize weapons as far-right protesters and anti-fascist counterdemonstrators rally in Oregon," 18 Aug. 2019 The beach-adjacent property was listed Monday for $1.749 million, two weeks after its El Porto neighbors objected to its ostentatious paint job at a City Council meeting. — Los Angeles Times, "Newsletter: Today: Trump’s familiar gun control retreat," 21 Aug. 2019 When real estate agent Allie Beth Allman listed it in 2012, the asking price was a record-breaking $135 million, real estate site Candy's Dirt explains, adding that its original form was much less ostentatious. — Darla Guillen Gilthorpe, Houston Chronicle, "Dallas businessman with ties to SMU now owns Dallas house once listed at $135M," 8 Aug. 2019 Christian Flatscher/Snøhetta Architectural tourism tends to cater to the ostentatious. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Snøhetta’s architectural interventions in the Austrian Alps let the land speak for itself," 17 July 2019 Right now, Sony’s music player and equally ostentatious earbuds are both on sale exclusively in Sony’s East Asian markets. — Shoshana Wodinsky, The Verge, "Sony’s charging nearly $7,900 for a music player with a gold-plated volume knob," 13 Aug. 2018 Plutocrats have reached the top of politics in America and Italy, while in Asia the super-rich often display their wealth in ostentatious style. — The Economist, "Germany’s business barons are finding it harder to keep a low profile," 15 June 2019 Ironically, 100-odd years later, even Wharton's comparatively spare interiors have an ostentatious look to them. — Chloe Foussianes, Town & Country, "Edith Wharton's Newport Mansion Is on the Market for $11.7 Million," 23 May 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'ostentatious.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of ostentatious

1590, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for ostentatious

see ostentation

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More Definitions for ostentatious

ostentatious

adjective
How to pronounce ostentatious (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of ostentatious

disapproving : displaying wealth, knowledge, etc., in a way that is meant to attract attention, admiration, or envy

See the full definition for ostentatious in the English Language Learners Dictionary

ostentatious

adjective
os·​ten·​ta·​tious | \ ˌä-stən-ˈtā-shəs How to pronounce ostentatious (audio) \

Kids Definition of ostentatious

: attracting or fond of attracting attention by showing off wealth or cleverness They lived in a huge, ostentatious house.

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