What does "gaudy" mean?
One of the large beads in the rosary at which the paternoster is recited.
Gaudy
/ˈɡɔ.di/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One of the large beads in the rosary at which the paternoster is recited.
- Grammar: gaudy is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: flashy, garish, loud, showy.
- Useful contrasts: pallid, serious, unadorned.
- Usage evidence: Stick to jackets that aren't too gaudy.
How to use "gaudy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "gaudy" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "gaudy" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "gaudy" as the right word for your sentence.
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Compare nearby meanings
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- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "gaudy" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "flashy" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
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Final meaning check
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When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One of the large beads in the rosary at which the paternoster is recited. archaic
"In 1458, the owner of the precious book, which had been taken from the martyr’s body at the block, left a rosary of 50 coral beads with gold gaudies, to his “beloved, most blessed Saint Richard Scrope,” to help in his canonization, with a prayer to God that it might be granted of His great grace."
- 2 A reunion held by one of the colleges of the University of Oxford for alumni, normally during the long vacation.
"And since then, Mary had married and scarcely been heard of; except that she had haunted the College with a sick persistence, never missing an Old Students’ Meeting or a Gaudy."
- 3 (Britain) a celebratory reunion feast or entertainment held at a college wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Very showy or ornamented, now especially when excessive, or in a tasteless or vulgar manner.
"Costly thy habit as thy purse can buy, / But not expressed in fancy; rich, not gaudy."
- 2 Fun; merry; festive. obsolete
"Let's have one other gaudy night."
Adjective
- 1 (used especially of clothes) marked by conspicuous display wordnet
- 2 tastelessly showy wordnet
Example
"Stick to jackets that aren't too gaudy."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "gaudy"?
Common synonyms include: flashy, garish, loud, showy, tacky, affected.
How do you use "gaudy" in a sentence?
Stick to jackets that aren't too gaudy.
How do you pronounce "gaudy"?
Pronounced /ˈɡɔ.di/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English gaudi, from Old French gaudie, from Medieval Latin gaudia. equivalent to gaud (“ornament, trinket”) + -y. Alternatively, from Middle English gaudi, gawdy (“yellowish”), from Old French gaude, galde (“weld (the plant)”), from Frankish *walda, from Proto-Germanic *walþō, *walþijō, akin to Old English *weald, *wielde (>Middle English welde, wolde and Anglo-Latin walda (“alum”)), Middle Low German wolde, Middle Dutch woude. More at English weld. A common claim that the word derives from Antoni Gaudí, designer of Barcelona's Sagrada Família Basilica, is incorrect: the word was in use centuries before Gaudí was born.
Etymology 2
Borrowed from Latin gaudium (“joy”). Doublet of joy and jo.