ostentatiousness
ostentatiousness — noun
1. behaviour in which someone tries to impress others by showing off their money, p
behaviour in which someone tries to impress others by showing off their money, possessions, or achievements in a very obvious and exaggerated way.
The ostentatiousness of the billionaire's wedding, with gold tables and peacocks, surprised the richest guests.
adjective-heavy description of luxury event
Residents disliked the ostentatiousness of the new hotel, with its glass tower and golden lights.
collocation: ostentatiousness of [building]
The critic called the ostentatiousness of the palace unnecessary, especially its tall marble corridors.
Tanvi's friends laughed at her watch's ostentatiousness — too many diamonds to read the time.
Benjamin preferred simple wooden furniture and disliked the ostentatiousness that filled his neighbour's living room.
- ostentation
more common; identical meaning
- showiness
less formal, used in everyday speech
- pretentiousness
focuses on trying to seem more important or cultured than one really is
- flamboyance
can be positive or neutral; emphasises bold, colourful style rather than disapproval
- modesty
opposite quality; not showing off at all
- understatement
the deliberate choice to keep things simple and not attract attention
- simplicity
the quality of being plain and unadorned
文法句型
the ostentatiousness of [noun phrase]
possessive + ostentatiousness
用法筆記
Frequently used in critiques of architecture, fashion, events, and personal style. The tone is almost always negative or disapproving.