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gaudiness

gaudiness

1 7.2
Too much bright decoration on clothes or signs that looks bad
  • noun
  • /ˈɡɔːdɪnəs/
translation icon : vulgaridad
  • What did it matter that it was the icing on his cake that had smeared Mama's mouth with the gaudiness?

Examples

  • Gaudiness cannot scream; alternatively, permit simplicity to reign supreme.

    Blog text (10)
  • Your crepe paper gaudiness and your cheap spangles are dear to me.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Her arms were clamped across her chest; the coupon table made a pile of gaudiness behind her.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • The signs that announced this or that bar, the brightly lit gaudiness, and the eerie silence that went with wearing a suit.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • I'd just go ahead and embrace the hideous gaudiness and make a rain skirt that you will see coming in all weathers.

    Blog text (14)
  • Oh, I cannot deny that it has given me pleasure to discover that what has dazzled us below you was only gaudiness, that there is powder under tender cheek, that there is grime under your dirty nails, that your perfumed handkerchief is dirty, Julie.

  • The gaudiness of the costume party decorations was overwhelming, with bright colors and flashy lights everywhere.

  • Many critics dismissed the artist's work as mere gaudiness, lacking the depth and subtlety found in more traditional pieces.

  • She preferred elegant designs, avoiding the gaudiness of overly decorative items that could clash with her taste.

Synonyms

glitz
vsgaudiness
19 7.5

Flashy style that looks nice but is not deep

is more offensive to taste because of excessive ornament or flash
vulgarity
vsgaudiness
  • NSFW
18 7.4

A lack of good taste and politeness in speech or behavior

is about excessive ornament or flash rather than social coarseness
flamboyance
vsgaudiness
4 7.7

A very bright and fancy style that attracts attention in dress or manner

is closer to being offensive to taste rather than merely striking
grossness
vsgaudiness
1 5.6

A rude or crude way of acting, speaking and dressing

is more about bright, overdone decoration judged tasteless
grandiosity
vsgaudiness
  • Literature
1 8.6

Speech or writing that is too fancy and feels overdone

is more about tasteless decoration than about pretentious scale or pomp
flashiness
vsgaudiness
1 5.6

A bright, showy style that attracts attention and looks cheap

is similar but judged more negatively for being tasteless or vulgar
tawdriness
vsgaudiness
1 8.7

A cheap, flashy look that seems low quality

emphasizes being overly decorated and offensive to good taste
tastelessness
vsgaudiness
1 6.8

Poor style that makes people feel uncomfortable

focuses more on excessive show and flash considered tasteless
garishness
vsgaudiness
1 7.5

Things that are very bright or flashy and look unpleasant

is about excessive showiness judged as lacking taste or refinement
showiness
vsgaudiness
1 6.5

A style that is very bright or richly decorated to attract attention

leans more toward being seen as tasteless or vulgar rather than neutral show
tackiness
vsgaudiness
  • Informal
1 6.6

A quality of looking cheap and in bad taste

is more about being excessively showy rather than just cheap quality
gaudery
vsgaudiness
  • Archaic
9.9

A showy, tasteless decoration or piece of clothing

is focused on excessive flashiness seen as tasteless or vulgar
splashiness
vsgaudiness
7.2

A quality of being showy and loud in style that hides simple beauty

is more strongly judged as tasteless or vulgar than mere publicity
meretriciousness
vsgaudiness
  • Formal
9.9

Something that looks bright and attractive but has no real value

is similar but judged specifically as tasteless or vulgar decoration
vulgarism
vsgaudiness
  • NSFW
9.1

A crude, tasteless way of acting, speaking or decorating

is centered on overly decorated appearance rather than rude conduct
classlessness
vsgaudiness
  • Offensive
8.1

Rude behavior or dress that shows no good taste

is more narrowly about excessive decorative flash judged tasteless
indecorousness
vsgaudiness
  • Formal
9.9

Lack of polite behavior or good taste

is focused on overdecorated appearance rather than improper conduct
inelegance
vsgaudiness
7.1

A lack of grace, good taste, or neatness

is more extreme, involving excessive and tasteless decoration
floridness
vsgaudiness
  • Formal
8.9

The use of very fancy, detailed language or style that feels too much

is similar but judged negatively as excessive and tasteless decoration

Antonyms

6 4.2

Simple style that avoids too much decoration

1 4.5

A sense of good style in clothes, design, or manners

How Showy

ostentation
3 8.5
garishness
1 7.5
gaudiness
1 7.2
showiness
1 6.5

Surface Forms

gaudiness singular
gaudinesses plural

Morphology

gaudiness = gaudy (transparent) = gaudy + ness

The noun is a regular abstract noun formed from the adjective 'gaudy' with '-ness', so the meaning is directly derived and clear to learners.

Etymology

Gaudiness comes from gaudy, which grew from an old word meaning 'joy' and was used for bright, showy ornaments. So think of someone happily adding loud, shining decorations — that's why gaudiness means being too showy or flashy.