gaudy

IPA/ˈɡɔːdi/
KK[ɡˈɔdi]IPA/ˈɡɔːdi/

gaudy — adjective

  • gaudypositive
  • gaudiercomparative
  • gaudiestsuperlative

1. having colours or decorations that are too bright, strong, or full of detail, ma

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

having colours or decorations that are too bright, strong, or full of detail, making something look cheap or as if the person who chose them has no sense of good taste

Example

Padma thought the gold wallpaper was far too gaudy for a doctor's waiting room.

gaudy + [object noun] — something is too gaudy for a place

The wedding invitations looked gaudy with too much glitter and giant red roses.

Common collocations
  • gaudy colours
  • gaudy decorations
  • gaudy dress / outfit / tie
  • gaudy jewellery
  • gaudy display (of wealth)
  • gaudy design
  • gaudy flowers
  • gaudy wallpaper
  • gaudy plastic (flowers / ornaments)
Synonyms
  • garish

    stronger focus on harsh, unpleasantly bright colours; gaudy can also describe too much decoration

  • flashy

    less negative than gaudy; can imply deliberately attracting attention in a confident way

  • tawdry

    combines showiness with poor quality or cheap materials; gaudy items may be expensive

  • ostentatious

    more formal; describes showy displays meant to impress others with wealth or status

Antonyms
  • plain

    simple and without decoration

  • tasteful

    showing good aesthetic judgment; the direct opposite of what gaudy suggests

Usage Note

Gaudy can describe anything eye-catching in a way that is considered bad taste — from bright colours (gaudy curtains) to over-decorated objects (gaudy jewellery) or showy behaviour (a gaudy display of wealth). More formal alternatives include 'ostentatious' and 'tasteless'.

Common Mistakes

The sunset was gaudy last night.
The sunset was vibrant last night.
Gaudy always suggests something is cheap or in bad taste; it is not used for beautiful bright colours seen in nature.

❌ 'She wore a gaudy diamond necklace that was very expensive.' — The sentence is correct in form, but note that gaudy can apply to expensive items that look cheap, not only to cheap things.

gaudy — noun

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe something that calls attention to itself in a way that many people find unattractive, but each has a different centre of meaning. Garish focuses on harsh, unpleasant colours — a garish neon sign hurts the eyes, whereas a gaudy dress may be brightly coloured but also overloaded with decoration. Flashy is less disapproving: a flashy sports car is meant to turn heads, and the speaker may even admire it. Tawdry adds the idea of cheapness — a tawdry necklace looks like it cost very little even from a distance. Ostentatious is the most formal of the four and usually describes a deliberate display of wealth or status, such as an ostentatious mansion. Compare: 'She wore a gaudy gold dress covered in sequins' (too much decoration) vs. 'She wore an ostentatious diamond necklace' (expensively showy).

garish ↗flashy ↗tawdry ↗ostentatious ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • gaudily
  • rather gaudy
  • a bit gaudy
  • far too gaudy
  • somewhat gaudy

Phrases

  • gaudy and overdone
  • gaudy and tasteless
  • gaudy and cheap

Prepositions

  • gaudy in (style / appearance)

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from Middle English 'gaudy' (a large ornamental bead in a rosary), which probably came from Old French 'gaudie' (rejoicing), and ultimately from Latin 'gaudium' (joy). The meaning shifted from 'joyful ornament' to 'showy decoration' and then to the modern sense of 'tastelessly bright or decorated'.