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garish

garish

16 6.7
Very bright and showy in a way that hurts the eyes
  • adjective
  • /ˈɡɛrɪʃ/
translation icon : estridente
  • So it's not, it shouldn't be really, really garish or really, really dark.
  • painted in garish

So it's not, it shouldn't be really, really garish or really, really dark.

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Examples

  • Bright, harsh lights hissed and flashed garish red, green, and yellow against the oncoming darkness.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Well, get out of that garish outfit and find yourself a black suit.

  • But it was all very kind of almost garish, but wonderful.

  • Well... a bit garish maybe?

  • Well, he was a loud and garish man.

  • I let my natural hair color grow out and stopped wearing the garish makeup.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Both of them are wearing their garish blazers and dark sunglasses.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • In the quivering afternoon heat, even the bright daytime blend of garish color was jarring.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • It's the Ixion Room in the House of Vetti in Pompeii, and you see it here once again in all its garish glory.

  • The walls were covered with weird, garish paintings that seemed to light up the room.

Synonyms

hideous
vsgarish
171 5.1

Very ugly and likely to make people feel shocked or disgusted

is more about excessive bright showiness rather than outright repulsion
grotesque
vsgarish
75 6.9

Being very strange and ugly in a way that shocks or amuses

focuses instead on bright, tasteless showiness rather than bizarre distortion
flashy
vsgarish
69 4.1

Very bright or showy in a way that attracts attention

is alike but feels more unpleasant and overly excessive
tacky
vsgarish
  • Informal
68 4.3

Showy in a cheap way that looks bad

is similar but stresses bright, unpleasant excess rather than just cheapness
loud
vsgarish
51 1.8

Too bright and showy in a way that looks bad

is similar but emphasizes an even more excessive, tasteless quality
cheap
vsgarish
39 5.6

Very showy with bright colors or too many decorations

is similar but more sharply unpleasant and excessively bright or ornate
trashy
vsgarish
  • Informal
37 3.7

Cheap and low quality that looks ugly or not stylish

focuses more on bright, unpleasant excess than on quality alone
flamboyant
vsgarish
35 6.5

Being very bright and showy to attract attention

is similar but implies a more unpleasant, tasteless brightness and excess
grandiose
vsgarish
27 7.5

Too big and showy in a way that tries to seem more important than it is

is less about pretension and more about unpleasant bright excess
tawdry
vsgarish
24 7.8

A thing that looks showy but is cheap and low quality

is like that but more glaringly excessive and unpleasant
gaudy
vsgarish
22 5.5

Very bright and showy in a way that looks bad

is similarly showy but more unpleasant and excessively over the top
vulgar
vsgarish
  • Offensive
22 6.5

Being rude and indecent in words or behaviour

is about visual brightness and excess rather than moral offensiveness
unsightly
vsgarish
15 4.5

Unpleasant to look at

is more specific, meaning unpleasantly bright and excessively showy rather than merely ugly
glitzy
vsgarish
13 4.8

A bright, showy look that tries to impress people

is similar but is more unpleasant and lacking in subtlety
kitschy
vsgarish
8 8.2

Too sentimental or brightly decorated and not in good taste

is similar but more about harsh brightness and offensive excess
brassy
vsgarish
  • Offensive
5 7.2

Bold and showy in a way people may find rude

is more narrowly about bright, unpleasant excess rather than rude boldness
flash
vsgarish
  • UK
3 7.4

Showy in a way meant to attract attention

is similar but stresses an unpleasant, excessive brightness rather than mere ostentation
glary
vsgarish
7.7

Very obvious in a way that draws negative attention

is similar but stresses an unpleasant excessive brightness or showiness
screamy
vsgarish
8.0

Very bright or loud in style to attract attention

is similar but feels more unpleasantly excessive and tasteless
tatty
vsgarish
  • UK
7.4

Showy and cheap in a way that looks low quality

is comparable but highlights a stronger, unpleasant brightness or excess
over-embellished
vsgarish
7.3

Too decorated so it looks showy and not natural

is similar but also carries an unpleasant, tasteless brightness

Antonyms

165 3.3

Having an attractive, stylish look that shows good taste

41 3.9

Showing good style and polite manners

9 4.2

Soft and not bright, like pale colors or quiet sounds

How Showy

garish
16 6.7
gaudy
22 5.5
flashy
69 4.1
showy
8 3.2

Surface Forms

garish positive
garisher comparative
garishest superlative

Morphology

garish = gar + ish

Although the suffix '-ish' is recognisable, the root 'gar' is not a productive modern English word, so the adjective's meaning cannot be reliably derived from its parts by an average learner.

Etymology

A helpful way to remember garish is to think of garnish, which means 'to decorate'. Imagine decorating so much that it becomes too bright and tasteless, and you have garish, meaning 'too bright or showy in a tasteless way'.