Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Characterized by or given to ostentation; pretentious. See Synonyms at showy.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- Making public display.
- Characterized by ostentation; making display or vain show from vanity or pride.
- Showy; gaudy; intended for vain display: as, ostentatious ornaments.
- Synonyms Dashing, flaunting. See ostentation.
Wiktionary
- adj. Of ostentation.
- adj. Intended to attract notice.
- adj. Of tawdry display; kitsch.
GNU Webster's 1913
- adj. Fond of, or evincing, ostentation; unduly conspicuous; pretentious; boastful.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. intended to attract notice and impress others
- adj. (of a display) tawdry or vulgar
Etymologies
- Originated 1650–60; ostentation+-ious. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“After all, Swanson had practically invented the word ostentatious.”
“A dance performed in ostentatious costumes, usually representing characters from the Robin Hood tradition such as Maid Marian and Friar Tuck.”
“His long, stricken pause when she asks him to come up with another word for "ostentatious" is as funny as his fumbling answers: "Delicious?”
“Well, if ostentatious is what you strive for in your digital equipment you’ll love the Douglas.”
“We dined anywhere from seven to nine, and soothed each other's irritation by calling ostentatious attention to the delicacy and perfection of each dish as it came on the table.”
“By Gerry Baldo 08/18/2009 Sensing the public outrage that hasn't subsided over what has been described as the ostentatious and luxurious lifestyles of President Arroyo and her entourage displayed during her”
WN.com - Articles related to ID officials fly state plane, mining industry pays
“By Gerry Baldo 08/18/2009 Sensing the public outrage that hasn't subsided over what has been described as the ostentatious and luxurious lifestyles of President Arroyo and her entourage displayed during her New York has sent a memorandum to the Office of the Press Secretary, saying the New York Post report on the pricey dinner of President Gloria”
WN.com - Articles related to Developing Economies Like Egypt Can Lead the World Out of Recession
“It sounded like the kind of ostentatious new age compositions that John Tesh might have composed.”
“A controversial 2004 law in France earlier prohibited Muslim headscarves and other "ostentatious" religious symbols in the classrooms of French primary and secondary public schools.”
The Huffington Post: Syria Bans Full Islamic Veils At Universities
“The French parliament outlawed Muslim headscarves and other "ostentatious" religious symbols from classrooms in 2004.”
The Huffington Post: Woman Fined For Wearing Islamic Veil While Driving In France
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘ostentatious’.
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Test Prep or Just for fun
Building a list for standardized test prep or just for learning some new words! Please add any words that you feel are important for the SAT/GRE/GMAT etc...
throng, morass, parley, facile, kismet, strife, jetsam, carrion, annex, harbinger, vestige, surreptitious and 575 more...
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1100
abound, technology, branch of knowled..., prognosticate, automaton, matron, an older married ..., realm, special field of ..., kingdom, annals, historical records and 981 more...
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GRE Barron's 800
abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abject, abjure, abscission, abscond, abstemious, abstinence, abysmal, accretion and 787 more...
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gre
municipal, whit, dissembler, berate, liberally, embellish, dissimilitude, histrionics, flamboyance, bombastic, bovine, calumny and 142 more...
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Interesting words
A list of words that are odd or words that I have looked up.
concupiscence, brize, scree, scoria, forestaff, spanaemia, valetudinarianism, distasture, pyrethrum, laudanum, gentian, bicameral and 11184 more...
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2nd part
prelude, ample, escalate, prototype, accession, acquisition, archives, zealot, indict, verdict, intimidating, timid and 454 more...
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GRE 2014
abase, abate, abdicate, aberrant, abeyance, abhor, abjure, abortive, abound, abrasive, abreast, abridge and 1577 more...
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From reading
Collected from reading
venerate, reprobate, reticent, adoration, ethereal, ephemeral, equivocal, contumacious, heinous, solicitous, agnostic, aberration and 335 more...
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incoate
inchoate, pomp, ostentatious, displace, dismay, prune, expect
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pedantic words
Busie old foole, unruly Sunne,..Sawcy pedantique wretch, goe chide Late schooleboyes.
pedagogic, schoolmasterly, academic, bookish, donnish, dry as dust, dryasdust, pedantic, erudite, formal, inkhorn, learned and 65 more...
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GRE 1100
drudgery, implore, hapless, nuance, wrest, incipient, inadvertent, tremulous, bristle, euphemism, disdain, pugnacious and 346 more...
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Vocab_TC60Q_txtbook
most vocab in the textbook Page till end chapter 2.
forfeited, nullifying, avowed, libelous, sapped, fascistic, outclassed, revolting, ecumenical, looming, fretful, penitent and 86 more...
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aykut gre
mossy, intrusive, mettlesome, soliloquy, mocking, dissembler, prevarication, histrionics, aphorism, distinction, concise, pensive and 61 more...
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1100 words you need to know
GRE words
voracious, indiscriminate, replete, steeped, eminent, perceive, intrepid, compound, automaton, reticent, interminable, drudgery and 288 more...
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Words For Novel (Part 3)
fibers, gypsy, polymer, schism, syphilitic garden..., holocaust, scrutinant, contemplate, aftermath, consequence, deadlock, impasse and 153 more...
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Need to Know!
elicit, educe, refute, cogency, churlish, martinet, veritable, polyglot, dissemble, histrionics, prevarication, verbiage and 166 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for ostentatious.
dailyword Helen used this word in the movie version of "All Creatures Great And Small" when she was talking about the hotel James had taken her to for dinner. Jun 13, 2012