ostentatious

IPA/ˌɒstenˈteɪʃəs/
KK[ˌɑstəntˈeʃəs]IPA/ˌɑːstenˈteɪʃəs/

ostentatious — adjective

  • ostentatiouspositive
  • more ostentatiouscomparative
  • most ostentatioussuperlative

1. using wealth, social rank, or visible power as a display meant to impress other

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

using wealth, social rank, or visible power as a display meant to impress other people.

Example

Ari arrived in an ostentatious sports car and parked beside the school gate.

ostentatious + expensive possession used for status

Salma planned an ostentatious wedding with gold chairs and a ten-tier cake.

ostentatious + event showing wealth

Common collocations
  • ostentatious wedding
  • ostentatious lifestyle
  • ostentatious display of wealth
  • ostentatious mansion
Synonyms
  • showy

    broader and less formal; not always tied to money or status

  • flashy

    more informal; often about bright modern style

  • pretentious

    focuses more on trying to seem important or refined

Antonyms
  • modest

    not trying to impress people with wealth or rank

  • understated

    deliberately simple and quiet in style

Usage Note

Usually describes people, events, spending, or possessions used to signal wealth or rank. Stronger and more critical than sense 2, which can simply describe a showy look.

Common Mistakes

Her plain canvas bag looked ostentatious.
Her diamond-covered bag looked ostentatious.
ostentatious suggests an obvious display meant to impress, not a simple object.

2. so bright, decorated, or overdone that it grabs attention at once and feels eage

2.adjectiveC1
Definition

so bright, decorated, or overdone that it grabs attention at once and feels eager to be noticed.

Example

Élise rejected the ostentatious wallpaper covered with huge silver flowers.

ostentatious + decorative object

The restaurant menu used an ostentatious gold font on every page.

ostentatious + design detail

Common collocations
  • ostentatious decor
  • ostentatious design
  • ostentatious font
  • ostentatious costume
Synonyms
  • gaudy

    more negative, often suggesting poor taste

  • showy

    less formal and slightly broader in meaning

  • ornate

    focuses on rich decoration without always sounding critical

Antonyms
  • plain

    simple and without decoration

  • restrained

    carefully limited and not visually loud

Usage Note

Often used for clothes, rooms, designs, or performances. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense focuses on appearance itself, even when no message about wealth or status is intended.

Common Mistakes

The plain white cup looked ostentatious.
The cup looked ostentatious because it was covered in shiny fake gems.
this sense needs a visually overdone look, not a plain one.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Ostentatious, showy, flashy, and pretentious all suggest attracting notice, but they differ in focus. Ostentatious is the most formal and usually the most critical: it points to a display of money, rank, or success that feels too deliberate. Showy is broader and can describe flowers, clothes, or behavior without always implying wealth. Flashy is more informal and often suggests bright, modern, attention-seeking style. Pretentious shifts from appearance to attitude: the problem is trying to seem more important, educated, or refined than you really are. A flashy jacket may simply be bright, but an ostentatious wedding feels designed to impress. A pretentious speech, by contrast, may sound grand even without any expensive display.

ostentatious ↗showyflashy ↗pretentious

Common collocations

Nouns

  • ostentatious display
  • ostentatious style
  • ostentatious manner
  • ostentatious decor

Adverbs

  • rather ostentatious
  • deliberately ostentatious
  • almost ostentatious

Phrases

  • look ostentatious
  • seem ostentatious

Etymology

LatinEnglish

From Latin ostentare, meaning 'to show' or 'put on display'. In English, the word has kept the idea of making wealth, style, or importance highly visible so that other people notice it.