Vocabulary
Flamboyant meaning: colorful, showy, and attention-getting
A purple suit with silver boots may be colorful. If it is designed to make everyone look, flamboyant is the more precise word.
Use flamboyant for a person, style, or display that attracts attention through a bright, showy, or unusual appearance.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
flamboyant /flæmˈbɔɪ.ənt/
The short answer
Flamboyant means noticeably bright, showy, or unusual in a way that attracts attention. It often describes a person's clothes or behavior, as well as design, writing, or decoration.
The actor arrived in a flamboyant purple suit.
Why it works: The suit is meant to stand out, not simply to have a color.
2 more examples
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Her flamboyant presentation used bright slides and dramatic gestures.
The presentation has a bold style that draws the audience's attention.
Not this:Her
lively presentationused bright slides and dramatic gestures. What changes: Lively means energetic and interesting. Flamboyant adds the idea of a showy public style. -
The garden gate has a flamboyant design with gold shapes and curved metalwork.
The design is elaborate and meant to be noticed.
Not this:The garden gate has an
ornate designwith gold shapes and curved metalwork. What changes: Ornate focuses on detailed decoration. Flamboyant also suggests a strong, attention-getting effect.
Read the full guide
Use flamboyant when the attention-getting effect matters. Choose a plainer adjective when you only want to describe color, pattern, or confidence.
Start with what people notice
Flamboyant points to an effect on other people. Something flamboyant stands out because its style is bright, elaborate, dramatic, or unusual. The word tells the reader that the attention-getting quality matters.
The singer wore a flamboyant coat covered in red feathers.
Use it for people and things
A flamboyant person may dress or behave in a bold, noticeable way. You can also describe their clothes, a stage performance, a room, or a building as flamboyant. This lets you focus on the style rather than judge the person directly.
The restaurant's flamboyant entrance had a fountain, mirrors, and bright lights.
Hear the tone in the situation
The word does not always praise or criticize. A fashion review may use flamboyant with approval, while a colleague may use it to suggest that an outfit does not suit a formal meeting. Listen for the speaker's attitude and the setting.
The critic enjoyed the flamboyant costumes in the comedy.
Choose a plainer word when needed
Colorful only tells you that several colors are present. Ornate points to a lot of decorative detail. Showy is close to flamboyant and often has a more critical tone. Choose flamboyant when the bold style and its attention-getting effect are both part of your meaning.
Colorful describes color. Ornate describes detailed decoration. Flamboyant describes a bold style that draws attention.
Use the word with care
Flamboyant is useful in reviews and descriptive writing because it gives a clear picture quickly. For a person you know, it may feel personal. If you only mean that someone looks good or wears bright clothes, say exactly that instead.
A theatre poster uses huge gold letters, bright patterns, and a dramatic pose. Is flamboyant a suitable word for the poster's style?
Yes. The poster's design is bold and clearly intended to attract attention.
Before you go
Remember this
Use flamboyant for a bold, showy style that attracts attention. It works for people and things, but its tone changes with the context, so choose it when you want to comment on that effect.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Flamboyant meaning: colorful, showy, and attention-getting"
What does flamboyant mean?
Flamboyant means bright, showy, or unusually noticeable in a way that attracts attention. It can describe people, clothes, behavior, design, decoration, and performances.
The actor arrived in a flamboyant purple suit.
Is flamboyant positive or negative?
Flamboyant can be positive, neutral, or critical. It may praise a bold, confident style, or it may suggest that someone or something is too showy for the situation.
The actor arrived in a colorful purple suit.
Can you describe a person as flamboyant?
Yes. A flamboyant person is known for a bold and noticeable public style, perhaps in clothes, speech, or behavior. The word can feel personal, so use it with care.
Her flamboyant presentation used bright slides and dramatic gestures.
What is the difference between flamboyant and colorful?
Colorful describes the presence of many or strong colors. Flamboyant adds the idea of a bold, showy style that attracts attention, so a flamboyant design may use more than color.
Her lively presentation used bright slides and dramatic gestures.
How do you pronounce flamboyant?
In British English, flamboyant is pronounced /flæmˈbɔɪ.ənt/. Say flam-BOY-ant, with the strongest stress on the middle syllable.
The garden gate has a flamboyant design with gold shapes and curved metalwork.
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