garish en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈɡeəɹɪʃ/ (New-Zealand) without the cheer–chair merger
- /ˈɡɛəɹɪʃ/ (General-American) without the Mary–marry–merry merger
- /ˈɡeɾɪʃ/ (Scotland)
- /ˈɡɛəɹɪʃ/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈɡɛːɹɪʃ/ (British, Southern, Standard)
- /ˈɡiəɹɪʃ/ New Zealand, cheer–chair merger
- /ˈɡɜːɹɪʃ/ Lancashire, fair–fur merger
- (US) audio Mmmm
- /ˈɡɛɹɪʃ/ General American, Mary–marry–merry merger
- /ˈɡeːɹɪʃ/ (Australia)
Etymology
Unknown, possibly from obsolete Middle English gawren (“to stare”) which is of uncertain origin, probably from Old Norse gá (“to watch, heed”) or gaurr (“rough fellow”) (Proto-Indo-European *gʰow-rós, from *gʰew- (“to be angry”)). Compare with English gaw.
Meanings
-
Overly ostentatious; so colorful as to be in bad taste.
The dress fits her well, but the pattern is rather garish.
On the other hand, to arrive after dusk, when the multitude of garish little public-houses are lit up, giving glimpses of crowded jostling bars and taprooms, is an introduction to a fine city well calculated to affect even the most nonchalant.
1951 October, R. S. McNaught, “Lines of Approach”, in Railway Magazine, page 703:She also said that Thameslink trains were deliberately garish, so as to lure drivers stuck on the M1, which runs alongside the line around Radlett.
2012, Andrew Martin, Underground Overground: A passenger's history of the Tube, Profile Books, →ISBN, page 57:Leela: He gave me mechanical ears / Effective though just a bit garish.
2003 August 10, Ken Keeler, “The Devil's Hands are Idle Playthings”, in Futurama, season 5, episode 16 (television production), Fox Broadcasting Company:"My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet." And, to tease her and arouse her to combat: "I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; Mr. Whistler bores me with his monochromatic mud; I don't like dull colours, dull sounds, dull intellects;[…]."
1907 August, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, chapter VIII, in The Younger Set, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| more garish | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most garish | Degree=Sup | lexicographic |
Deriveds
garishly · nongarish · garishness
Synonyms
kitschy · crude · crass · snazzy · vain · froufrou · pretentious · blingish · campy · ritzy · obtrusive · gross · florid · tinselly · naff · glaring · gay · kitsch · too much · garish · tacky · loud · splendiferous · chintzy · tawdry · whorish · untasteful · pimped out · flashy · flaunting · schlocky · bedizened · gussied up · chichi · brash · unbecoming · corny · tasteless · zesty · showy · gauche · flossy · gaudy · blatant · ostentatious · pizazzy · trinkety · catchpenny · hideous · meretricious · raffish
Translations (57)
ru крича́щий (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · de schreiend bunt (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · hu hivalkodó (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · it vistoso (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · fr criard (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · es gárrido (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · es estrafalario (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · sv skrikig (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · el κακόγουστος (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · pt garrido (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · fr tape-à-l'œil (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · hi भड़कदार (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · es estrambótico (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · hu ízléstelen (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · el φανταχτερός (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · hu rikító (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · ka მყვირალა (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · es vistoso (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · de grell (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · hu feltűnő (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · de knallig (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · de auffallend (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · mk јарк (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · bg показен (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · es colorinche (Lat. Am.) (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · ro bătător la ochi (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · fi räikeä (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · mk дре́члив (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · it sgargiante (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · ru показно́й (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · ro strident (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · fr voyant (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · it chiassoso (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · it appariscente (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · tr cafcaflı (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · hi चटकीला (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · nl schreeuwlelijk (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · es hortera (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · nl wansmakelijk (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · hi भड़कीला (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · de protzig (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · hu csicsás (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · de knallbunt (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · sv gräll (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · ro ţipător (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · el χτυπητός (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · bg крещящ (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · ga scéiniúil (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · es chillón (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · pl krzykliwy (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · hi शोख़ (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · bg ярък (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · es charro (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · de aufdringlich (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · pl jaskrawy (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · ka თვალშისაცემი (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste) · it pacchiano (overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste)