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
1
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 notesIn plain EnglishToo bright, flashy, or over-decorated to look tasteful.
Easily confused with
Common pairings
garish colours
garish outfit
garish lighting
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Word forms
- Comparative
- more garish
- Superlative
- most garish
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
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.
Synonyms
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Related words
Rhymes for garish
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.
