ostentatious

ostentatious

 
adjective|ah-stun-TAY-shus
 
What It Means
 
Ostentatious describes someone or something that displays wealth, knowledge, power, etc., in a way that is meant to attract attention, admiration, or envy. Things that are ostentatious tend to stand out as overly elaborate or conspicuous.
 
// The resort town is famous for its extravagantly expensive summer homes, which some tourists view as impressive and others merely ostentatious.

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ostentatious
adjective
os·;ten·;ta·;tious ;;-st;n-;t;-sh;s
Synonyms of ostentatious
: attracting or seeking to attract attention, admiration, or envy often by gaudiness or obviousness : overly elaborate or conspicuous : characterized by, fond of, or evincing ostentation
an ostentatious display of wealth/knowledge
The power of the government was present … but it did not express itself in large and ostentatious buildings.
—Albert Hourani
ostentatiously adverb
ostentatiousness noun


Did you know?
Both ostentatious and the related noun ostentation can be traced to the Latin verb ostent;re, meaning "to display," and the idea of display persists in the English word’s current use: people and things described as ostentatious seem to be practically begging to be looked at. Ostentatious is often applied to objects and buildings that can also be described as luxurious—flashy jewelry, mansions, edifices with marble columns. Someone with an ostentatious lifestyle spends money in a way that makes it obvious that they have a lot of it. When used in negative constructions—"the house is large but not ostentatious"—the implication is that display isn’t the point.


Did you know?
How is ostentatious used?

Ostentatious comes from a Latin word meaning "display," and the idea of display is still very apparent in the English word as it is currently used.

People and things described as ostentatious seem to have put themselves on display; they are practically begging to be looked at. The word is not compliment.

Ostentatious is often applied to buildings that can also be described as luxurious—mansions, fancy high-rises, huge houses with marble columns. Sometimes the description appears in the negative, as when we're told that a house is large, but not ostentatious, which means that it's large but not in a way that calls attention to itself. When the word is applied to objects like clothes and jewelry, the idea is the same: such items attract attention for the luxury they imply.

People who are described as ostentatious—or who have lifestyles described as such—typically are seen as spending money in a way that makes it clear that they have a lot of it. Their consumption may also be described with the word, in which case the emphasis is on the impressive things they buy.

Less often, ostentatious is applied to what attracts attention not because of an implied luxury but because of some other quality. Someone's boastful declarations about volunteer work may be described, for example, as ostentatious.

Synonyms
loud
noisy
extravagant
gaudy
excessive
Choose the Right Synonym for ostentatious

showy, pretentious, ostentatious mean given to excessive outward display.

showy implies an imposing or striking appearance but usually suggests cheapness or poor taste.

the performers' showy costumes
pretentious implies an appearance of importance not justified by the thing's value or the person's standing.

a pretentious parade of hard words
ostentatious stresses vainglorious display or parade.

the ostentatious summer homes of the rich
Examples of ostentatious in a Sentence
That pompous excuse for a plush ride is a thumb in the eye to every taxpayer—and in the case of an ostentatious cost-cutter, genuine hypocrisy.
—William Safire, New York Times, 2 May 1991
Always proud to sit down with an ice-cold beer in my hand, I was ostentatious about it in town.
—Mark Helprin, New Yorker, 30 May 1988
She had driven to Prague from the Netherlands in her Porsche, telling friends she didn't give a hoot how ostentatious she might appear to the comrades.
—Frank Deford, Sports Illustrated, 4 Aug. 1986
an ostentatious display of knowledge
wears an ostentatious diamond ring on his little finger
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
With pilasters, a limestone facade, and classic symmetrical design, the three-story building exemplifies the Beaux-Arts style popular at the turn of the 20th century, grand but not ostentatious.
—Irene S. Levine, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2025
Larra;aga presented a range of ideas, from conservative to ostentatious, to the couple.
—Daniel Cote, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2025
While Justin Bieber had sat in private boxes at Leafs games before, his ostentatious look — a large white toque, thick orange jacket and sunglasses — was hard to miss.
—Joshua Kloke, New York Times, 19 May 2025
Kenyans are worse off than before, with many blaming Ruto for his failure to improve the economic conditions, his decisions to increase taxes, and his ostentatious display of wealth from fancy watches to Louboutin shoes.
—Troy Onyango, Time, 24 July 2025

Word History
Etymology
ostentati(on) + -ous, after contention : contentious and like pairs

First Known Use
1590, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of ostentatious was in 1590
See more words from the same year