flashy
/'flæʃi/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Tastelessly showy or ostentatious: Describes something that is designed to attract attention in a way that is often considered vulgar, gaudy, or lacking in good taste.
- Marked by conspicuous display: Often used to describe clothes, jewelry, or styles that are overly bright, elaborate, or intended to impress through obvious and excessive ornamentation.
Usage
- The adjective "flashy" is typically used to describe objects, styles, or appearances. It carries a negative connotation, implying a lack of sophistication or elegance. It is often used in contrast with words like "subtle," "classic," or "understated."
Examples
- Adjective:
- He drove a flashy red sports car with gold trim.
- She avoided flashy logos and preferred simple, elegant clothing.
- The casino was decorated in a flashy, over-the-top style.
Advanced Usage
- "flashy" vs. "stylish": While both can describe attention-getting items, "flashy" is critical, suggesting the display is tacky or vulgar. "Stylish" is positive, suggesting fashionableness and good taste.
- The outfit was more flashy than stylish, drawing stares for the wrong reasons.
- Used to describe behavior or performance that is superficially impressive but lacks substance.
- The guitarist's flashy solos were technically skilled but emotionally empty.
Variants and Related Words
- Flashily (adverb): In a flashy manner.
- He was dressed flashily for the event.
- Flashiness (noun): The quality of being flashy.
- The flashiness of the advertisement was off-putting to some customers.
Synonyms
- Gaudy: Excessively bright and showy, typically so as to be tasteless.
- Garish: Obtrusively bright and showy; lurid.
- Tawdry: Showy but cheap and of poor quality.
- Ostentatious: Characterized by vulgar or pretentious display; designed to impress or attract notice.
Antonyms
- Subtle: So delicate or precise as to be difficult to analyze or describe; understated.
- Understated: Presented or expressed in a subtle and effective way.
- Conservative: (Of style) traditional and restrained.
- Sober: Plain and subdued in appearance.
Idioms and Phrases
- All flash and no substance: A critical idiom describing something or someone that appears impressive on the surface but has little real value, quality, or depth. This idiom extends the meaning of "flashy."
- The new policy was all flash and no substance, failing to address the core issues.
Adjective
- (used especially of clothes) marked by conspicuous display
- tastelessly showy
- a flash car
- a flashy ring
- garish colors
- a gaudy costume
- loud sport shirts
- a meretricious yet stylish book
- tawdry ornaments