gaudy
/ˈɡɔːdi/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈɡɔːdi/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈgȯ-dē ˈgä-/ (ame, mw)
gaudy — adjective
- gaudypositive
- gaudiercomparative
- gaudiestsuperlative
1. having colours or decorations that are too bright, strong, or full of detail, ma
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
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.
Mert's gaudy tie, covered in bright pink flamingos, made the whole office laugh.
Gabriela removed the gaudy plastic flowers and put a white orchid on the table.
Critics called the hotel design gaudy, comparing it to a casino in Las Vegas.
- 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
用法筆記
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'.
常見錯誤
❌ '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
1. a formal dinner held once a year for former students of a college, especially at
a formal dinner held once a year for former students of a college, especially at older British universities such as Oxford and Cambridge
Asher booked his train tickets early so he would not miss the college gaudy in October.
the + college + gaudy — naming the specific event
Soraya's father had worn the same university scarf to every gaudy for thirty years.
every + gaudy — annual recurrence
The gaudy brought together graduates from five different decades under one roof.
Ada had never been to a college gaudy and asked her friends what to wear.
- reunion dinner
more general term for any gathering of former members of a group
- alumni dinner
neutral term for a formal meal for former students
文法句型
the + college + gaudy
attend a gaudy
用法筆記
This noun is restricted to British university tradition, particularly at Oxford and Cambridge. Outside this context the word is almost never used as a noun. When capitalised (the Gaudy), it may refer to a specific named event at a particular college.