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as bright as Dick's hatband

as bright as Dick's hatband

9.9
Very bright in color and showy
  • idiom
  • Archaic
translation icon : tan brillante como la cinta del sombrero de Dick
  • Her dress was as bright as Dick's hatband!

Examples

  • She wore a jacket as bright as Dick's hatband, attracting everyone's attention.

  • The decorations at the party were as bright as Dick's hatband this year.

  • His tie was so colorful that it was as bright as Dick's hatband.

  • The fireworks were as bright as Dick's hatband last night.

  • The flowers in the garden were as bright as Dick's hatband, creating a stunning display.

  • His sneakers were as bright as Dick's hatband, which made him stand out on the basketball court.

  • The new painting was as bright as Dick's hatband, filling the gallery with vibrant colors.

Synonyms

bright
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
235 1.0

Having a strong, vivid color that is easy to notice

is more exaggerated and ostentatious than simple vividness
flashy
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
69 4.1

Very bright or showy in a way that attracts attention

is even more garish and meant to look ostentatious
gay
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
  • Archaic
38 4.4

Bright in color and showy

is more garish and deliberately showy rather than just cheerful
bright red
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
26 1.0

A very strong red colour that is easy to see

is more overtly ornamented and showy than simple vivid red
brightly-colored
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
15 1.2

A thing that has strong, vivid colors

adds a sense of tasteless, attention seeking decoration to vividness
brilliant
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
14 3.0

Very bright and strong in color

leans more toward showy and gaudy appearance than pure strength
glitzy
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
13 4.8

A bright, showy look that tries to impress people

is louder and more offensively gaudy than this superficial shine
bright yellow
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
12 1.0

A very strong yellow color that is easy to see

is more decorative and garish than a plain vivid yellow shade
resplendent
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
11 7.9

Bright and beautiful in a way that looks impressive

is more loudly decorative and less dignified than splendid shine
incandescent
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
  • Literature
3 7.5

Full of strong feeling or passion

is more about garish, attention seeking color than noble intensity
blinding
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
3 4.1

Very bright light that makes it hard to see

is focused on flashy, gaudy color rather than merely overwhelming light
dazzling
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
2 3.1

So bright that it is hard to see

is similar in intensity but adds tasteless, showy color to shine
bright-red
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
1 1.0

A very bright red color like fresh raspberries

is more exaggerated and ostentatious in its colourful display
glaring
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
1 3.8

A very bright light that hurts your eyes

is less about glare and more about loud, garish color display
loudish
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
  • Informal
6.7

Bright and a little showy in appearance

is more extreme and noticeably tasteless than this milder style
overbright
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
4.4

Light that is too strong and makes it hard to see

is similarly extreme but emphasizes tasteless, showy colorfulness
brite
vsas bright as Dick's hatband
  • Informal
9.5

Having strong color or much light

is more extreme and deliberately showy than this informal form

Antonyms

23 4.2

Not bright or colorful and not lively

How Bright

as bright as Dick's hatband
  • Archaic
9.9
showy
8 3.2
colorful
  • US
89 1.0
bright
235 1.0
dull
31 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

as + bright + as + Dick's + hatband

The simile follows the fully compositional pattern 'as bright as X' where 'bright' (vivid, intense coloration) is directly compared to a concrete item 'hatband' (a decorative strip around a hat); a B1 learner who knows these words will infer it means very bright or showy. The proper name 'Dick's' only identifies the referent and does not change the compositional meaning, and comparative simile patterns are cross-linguistically common, so the expression is readily understandable from its parts.

Etymology

As bright as Dick's hatband may come from a picture of a man called Dick who wore a very shiny, colorful hatband that everyone noticed. That's why the phrase is used to mean 'extremely bright or showy'.