Ostentation — meaning, pronunciation & more

Definition

a gaudy outward display

lack of elegance as a consequence of being pompous and puffed up with vanity

Pronunciation

🇺🇸American English

/ˌɑːstəntˈeɪʃən/

🇬🇧British English

/ˌɒstəntˈeɪʃən/

🇮🇳Indian English

/ˌɒstəntˈeɪʃən/

4 syllables Say it as /ˌɑːstəntˈeɪʃən/.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

pomposity flash pompousness inflation puffiness ostentatiousness pretentiousness splashiness fanfare

Word Forms

ostentatious	adjective	intended to attract notice and impress others
ostentate	verb	display proudly; act ostentatiously or pretentiously
flash	adjective	tastelessly showy
flashy	adjective	(used especially of clothes) marked by conspicuous display
pompous	adjective	puffed up with vanity; ; ; ; - Newsweek
pretentious	adjective	(of a display) tawdry or vulgar

Around the World

Europe

🇩🇪German

Prahlerei

eine knallige äußere Erscheinung

🇪🇸Spanish

ostentación

una pantalla exterior llamativa

🇮🇹Italian

ostentazione

una vistosa esibizione esteriore

🇳🇱Dutch

uiterlijk vertoon

een opzichtig uiterlijk vertoon

🇵🇹Portuguese

ostentação

uma exibição externa berrante

🇷🇺Russian

хвастовство

яркий внешний вид

India

🇮🇳Hindi

डींग

एक भड़कीला बाहरी प्रदर्शन

🇧🇩Bengali

দৃষ্টান্ত

একটি চটকদার বাহ্যিক প্রদর্শন

🇮🇳Tamil

ஆடம்பரம்

ஒரு ஆடம்பரமான வெளிப்புற காட்சி

🇮🇳Telugu

ఆడంబరం

ఒక అందమైన బాహ్య ప్రదర్శన

🇮🇳Marathi

दिखाऊपणा

एक भडक बाह्य प्रदर्शन

🇮🇳Gujarati

દેખાવ

એક ભવ્ય બાહ્ય પ્રદર્શન

🇮🇳Kannada

ಆಡಂಬರ

ಒಂದು ಆಕರ್ಷಕವಾದ ಬಾಹ್ಯ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶನ

🇮🇳Malayalam

ആഡംബരം

മനോഹരമായ ഒരു ബാഹ്യ പ്രദർശനം

🇮🇳Punjabi

ਵਿਖਾਵਾ

ਇੱਕ ਸ਼ਾਨਦਾਰ ਬਾਹਰੀ ਡਿਸਪਲੇਅ

🇵🇰Urdu

دکھاوا

ایک شوخ ظاہری ڈسپلے

East & Southeast Asia

🇨🇳Chinese

炫耀

华而不实的外表

🇯🇵Japanese

誇示

派手な外観のディスプレイ

🇰🇷Korean

과시

화려한 외부 디스플레이

🇻🇳Vietnamese

phô trương

bề ngoài lòe loẹt

🇹🇭Thai

การแสดงโอ้อวด

การแสดงภายนอกที่ฉูดฉาด

🇮🇩Indonesian

kesombongan

tampilan luar yang mencolok

🇵🇭Filipino

pagmamayabang

isang matingkad na panlabas na pagpapakita

🇲🇾Malay

kesombongan

paparan luaran yang mencolok

Middle East

🇸🇦Arabic

التباهي

عرض خارجي مبهرج

🇮🇷Persian

خودنمایی

یک نمایشگر بیرونی زرق و برق دار

🇹🇷Turkish

gösteriş

şatafatlı bir dış ekran

🇮🇱Hebrew

ראוותנות

תצוגה חיצונית צעקנית

Test Yourself1 / 3

What is the primary definition of the word 'ostentation'?

The primary meaning of 'ostentation' is 'a gaudy outward display'.

Which of the following sentences uses the word 'ostentation' in a grammatically correct way?

Using 'ostentation' in a noun/adjective form makes the first sentence correct.

In which domain is the word 'ostentation' most likely to appear as standard vocabulary?

'ostentation' is a standard word used primarily in general literature and formal communications.

Community Poll1 / 6

How often do you encounter the word 'ostentation' in your daily reading?

Very Often

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

Do you find 'ostentation' easy to spell?

Yes, very easy

Somewhat easy

A bit confusing

Extremely hard

In your opinion, does the word 'ostentation' have a positive, neutral, or gloomy tone?

Positive

Neutral

Gloomy

Vibrant

Which age group is most likely to use 'ostentation' in regular conversations?

Kids (3-12)

Teens (13-19)

Adults (20-60)

Seniors (60+)

How likely are you to use 'ostentation' in a professional email?

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Never

Would you classify 'ostentation' as formal, casual, or slang?

Formal

Casual

Slang

Archaic

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