adj

garish

GEH-uh-rihsh

Garish (adj) means Unpleasantly bright or showy, in a tasteless way. Example: “The hotel lobby was decorated in garish neon colours.”

adj

Unpleasantly bright or showy, in a tasteless way.

"The hotel lobby was decorated in garish neon colours."

"She thought the wallpaper was far too garish for a bedroom."

How to use garish

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishToo bright, flashy, or over-decorated to look tasteful.

Easily confused with

gaudy →

Common pairings

garish colours garish outfit garish lighting

Word forms

more garish comparative, most garish superlative

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The hotel lobby was decorated in _____ neon colours.

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.

Origin: Old Norse

Rhymes for garish

parish harish nightmarish

See all rhymes for garish →

Frequently asked questions

What does “garish” mean?

The word “garish” means unpleasantly bright or showy, in a tasteless way. In plain terms, too bright, flashy, or over-decorated to look tasteful.

How do you pronounce “garish”?

“Garish” is pronounced GEH-uh-rihsh (/ˈɡɛəɹɪʃ/ in IPA).

How do you use “garish” in a sentence?

Here is “garish” used in a sentence: “The hotel lobby was decorated in garish neon colours.”

What part of speech is “garish”?

“Garish” is an adjective.