First Known Use: 1545
Dictionary
garish
adjective gar·ish \ˈger-ish\
: too bright or colorful
Full Definition of GARISH
1
: clothed in vivid colors
2
a : excessively or disturbingly vivid <garish colors> <garish imagery> b : offensively or distressingly bright : glaring
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Origin of GARISH
origin unknown
Related to GARISH
- Synonyms
- flamboyant, flaring, flashy, gaudy, glitzy, loud, noisy, ostentatious, razzle-dazzle, splashy, swank (or swanky)
- Antonyms
- conservative, quiet, understated, unflamboyant, unflashy
Synonym Discussion of GARISH
gaudy, tawdry, garish, flashy, meretricious mean vulgarly or cheaply showy. gaudy implies a tasteless use of overly bright, often clashing colors or excessive ornamentation <circus performers in gaudy costumes>. tawdry applies to what is at once gaudy and cheap and sleazy <tawdry saloons>. garish describes what is distressingly or offensively bright <garish neon signs>. flashy implies an effect of brilliance quickly and easily seen to be shallow or vulgar <a flashy nightclub act>. meretricious stresses falsity and may describe a tawdry show that beckons with a false allure or promise <a meretricious wasteland of casinos and bars>.
GARISHLY Defined for Kids
garish
adjective gar·ish \ˈger-ish\
Definition of GARISH for Kids
: too bright or showy : gaudy <She was dressed in garish colors.>
— gar·ish·ly adverb
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