Ostentatory

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Marked by a tendency to attract attention through overly showy behavior or appearance
2. Characterized by a deliberate effort to impress others through extravagant actions or presentations
3. Exhibiting behavior or style designed to draw attention in a pretentious manner

Etymology: The root of this word is "ostendere," Latin for "to show" or "to present." It combines "ob-," meaning "before" or "toward," with "tendere," "to stretch." To show something was literally to stretch it out before someone's eyes. The same "tendere" gives English "extend," "tension," and "tender," so a display is, at root, something held out for inspection. Latin also formed "ostentare," a frequentative verb suggesting repeated or insistent showing, and the noun "ostentatio." English drew on this family, and this adjective was built on the stem "ostentat-" with the suffix "-ory," meaning "serving to" or "characterized by." That suffix also appears in "preparatory" and "laudatory," so the word describes conduct whose purpose is to be seen.

Synonyms: showy, pretentious, extravagant, flamboyant, theatrical

Antonyms: modest, unpretentious, humble, simple, understated