Meanings
adjectiveostentatious (comparative more ostentatious, superlative most ostentatious)
comparative more ostentatious · superlative most ostentatious
- Of ostentation.
- Intended to attract notice.
Over the course of the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin has drawn several “red lines” – with ostentatious references to Russia’s huge strategic nuclear arsenal – only to seemingly do nothing when these lines are crossed by Ukraine or its Western backers.
2024 September 19, Fred Weir, “Why Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling on Ukraine sounds different this time”, in The Christian Science Monitor - Of tawdry display; kitsch.
Synonyms: gaudy, pretentious
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveOf tawdry display; kitsch.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
adjectiveintended to attract notice and impress others
Opposite
adjective(of a display) tawdry or vulgar
Similar
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Originated 1590; from Latin ostentātus + -ious.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian показен
- показен (pokazen)of ostentation
Catalan ostentós, ostentós
- ostentósof ostentation
- ostentósintended to attract notice
Chinese Mandarin 浮華 /浮华, 闊綽 /阔绰
- 浮華 /浮华 (fúhuá, fúhua)of ostentation
- 闊綽 /阔绰 (kuòchuò)of ostentation
- 刻意 (kèyì)intended to attract notice
- 財大氣粗 /财大气粗 (cáidàqìcū)of tawdry display
Czech okázalý, ostentativní
- okázalýof ostentation
- ostentativníof ostentation
- provokativníintended to attract notice
Dutch protserig
- protserigof ostentation
Esperanto parada, provoka
- paradaof ostentation
- provokaintended to attract notice
- altiraintended to attract notice
- allogaintended to attract notice
- paradecaof tawdry display
- pavumaof tawdry display
Finnish ylitsevuotava, liiallinen
- ylitsevuotavaof ostentation
- liiallinenof ostentation
- mahtailevaof ostentation
- prameaof ostentation
- huomiotaherättäväintended to attract notice
- provokatiivinenintended to attract notice
- mautonof tawdry display
- prameaof tawdry display
- kitsahtavaof tawdry display
French ostentatoire
- ostentatoireof ostentation
German protzig, prahlerisch
- protzigof ostentation
- prahlerischof ostentation
- prunkhaftof ostentation
- prunkvollof ostentation
- prahlendof ostentation
- protzendof ostentation
- großtuerischof ostentation
- pomphaftof ostentation
- pompösof ostentation
- demonstrativintended to attract notice
- ostentativintended to attract notice
- auffälligintended to attract notice
Greek επιδεικτικός, επιδεικτικός
- επιδεικτικός (epideiktikós)of ostentation
- επιδεικτικός (epideiktikós)intended to attract notice
- προκλητικός (proklitikós)intended to attract notice
- φανταχτερός (fantachterós)of tawdry display
Hindi आडंबरी, आडंबरी
- आडंबरी (āḍambrī)of ostentation
- आडंबरी (āḍambrī)intended to attract notice
Irish mustrach, gáifeach
- mustrachof ostentation
- gáifeachof ostentation
- taibhseachof ostentation
- mustrachintended to attract notice
- gáifeachintended to attract notice
- taibhseachintended to attract notice
- mustrachof tawdry display
- gáifeachof tawdry display
- taibhseachof tawdry display
Italian ostentato, provocante
- ostentatoof ostentation
- provocanteintended to attract notice
- provocatoreintended to attract notice
- ostentatoof tawdry display
Japanese けばけばしい, 派手な
- けばけばしい (kebakebashii)of ostentation
- 派手な (hade na)of ostentation
- 派手な (hadena)intended to attract notice
- 麗々しい (reireishī)intended to attract notice
- 看板倒れ (kanbandaore)intended to attract notice
Māori hahaki, hahaki
- hahakiof ostentation
- hahakiintended to attract notice
Norwegian Bokmål prangende
- prangendeintended to attract notice
Polish ostentacyjny, ostentacyjny
- ostentacyjnyof ostentation
- ostentacyjnyintended to attract notice
Portuguese ostentatório, ostentoso
- ostentatórioof ostentation
- ostentosointended to attract notice
- espalhafatosoof tawdry display
Romanian ostentativ, provocator
- ostentativof ostentation
- provocatorof ostentation
- ostentațiosof ostentation
- provocatorintended to attract notice
- împopoțonatof tawdry display
- țipătorof tawdry display
Russian показно́й, нарочи́тый
- показно́й (pokaznój)of ostentation
- нарочи́тый (naročítyj)of ostentation
- хвастли́вый (xvastlívyj)of ostentation
- вне́шний (vnéšnij)of ostentation
- показно́й (pokaznój)intended to attract notice
- крича́щий (kričáščij)of tawdry display
- кичёвый (kičóvyj)of tawdry display
Slovak ostentatívny, vystatovačný
- ostentatívnyof ostentation
- vystatovačnýof ostentation
- vypínavýof ostentation
Spanish ostentoso, ostentatorio
- ostentosoof ostentation
- ostentatorioof ostentation
- ostentosointended to attract notice
- ostentatoriointended to attract notice
- ostentatorioof tawdry display
- ostentosoof tawdry display
Swedish skrytsam, pompös
- skrytsamof ostentation
- pompösof ostentation
- kitschigof tawdry display
- pråligof tawdry display
- pompösof tawdry display
Turkish gösterişli
- gösterişliof ostentation
Ukrainian показний, показний
- показний (pokaznyj)of ostentation
- показний (pokaznyj)intended to attract notice
Vietnamese phô trương, khoe khoang
- phô trươngintended to attract notice
- khoe khoangintended to attract notice
Welsh rhwysgfawr, rodresgar
- rhwysgfawrintended to attract notice
- rodresgarintended to attract notice
- rwysgfawrintended to attract notice
- rhodresgarintended to attract notice
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with ostentatious
spacioustenaciousgraciousgaseouscretaceousherbaceousaudaciousefficaciousvoraciousvivaciousfallaciouscarbonaceoussebaceousvexatiousflirtatiouscurvaceoussalaciousrapaciouscapacioussagaciouspugnaciousloquaciousmendaciousungracious
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
ostentatious. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ostentatious
MLA
“ostentatious.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ostentatious. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “ostentatious,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/ostentatious.
Source: ostentatious on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.