garish

American  

[gair-ish, gar-] / ˈgɛər ɪʃ, ˈgær- /

adjective

1. crudely or tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate, as clothes or decoration.

   Synonyms:

   tawdry , loud

2. excessively ornate or elaborate, as buildings or writings.

3. dressed in or ornamented with bright colors.

4. excessively bright; glaring.

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garish British  

/ ˈɡɛərɪʃ /

adjective

1. gay or colourful in a crude or vulgar manner; gaudy

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Related Words

See gaudy ¹.

Other Word Forms

• garishly adverb
• garishness noun

Etymology

Origin of garish

1535–45; earlier gaurish, perhaps equivalent to obsolete gaure “to stare” ( Middle English gauren, from Old Norse ) + -ish ¹

Example Sentences

Now Britons are growing exasperated with a decorator whose tastes run to the intellectual equivalent of avocado-colored appliances and garish shag carpeting.

From The Wall Street Journal

Billboards promoting the film showed Murphy as an overweight woman in a fat suit with garish eye makeup.

From Los Angeles Times

Despite some impressively garish trousers, YouTuber George Clarke hit a bum note with his Jive to Harry Styles' As It Was.

From BBC

Ragoravich’s dacha is a “garish and almost grotesque” palace clad in marble that makes Maggie think of Versailles, but in a way that makes Versailles seem dumpy.

From Los Angeles Times

There now seems to be a bit of snickering immaturity in the film’s garish period trappings, though the emotional acuity and empathetic consideration of even the most minor of characters still makes “Boogie Nights” remarkable.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• gaudy
• glittering
• ornate
• ostentatious
• showy
• vulgar