English

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Etymology

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Originated 1650–60; ostentation +‎ -ious.

Pronunciation

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  • (US) IPA(key): /ˌɒs.tɛnˈteɪ.ʃəs/, /ˌɒs.tənˈteɪ.ʃəs/
  • Audio (US):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪʃəs

Adjective

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ostentatious (comparative more ostentatious, superlative most ostentatious)

  1. Of ostentation.
  2. Intended to attract notice.
    • 2024 September 19, Fred Weir, “Why Putin’s nuclear saber-rattling on Ukraine sounds different this time”, in The Christian Science Monitor:
      Over the course of the war in Ukraine, the Kremlin has drawn several “red lines” – with ostentatious references to Russia’s huge strategic nuclear arsenal – only to seemingly do nothing when these lines are crossed by Ukraine or its Western backers.
  3. Of tawdry display; kitsch.

Synonyms

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Derived terms

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Translations

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References

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