Transcription
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
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- [os-ten-tey-shuh n, -tuh n-]
- /ˌɒs tɛnˈteɪ ʃən, -tən-/
- /ˌɒs.tenˈteɪ.ʃən/
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- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
-
- [os-ten-tey-shuh n, -tuh n-]
- /ˌɒs tɛnˈteɪ ʃən, -tən-/
Definitions of ostentation word
- noun ostentation pretentious or conspicuous show, as of wealth or importance; display intended to impress others. 1
- noun ostentation Archaic. the act of showing or exhibiting; display. 1
- noun ostentation Pretentious and vulgar display, esp. of wealth and luxury, intended to impress or attract notice. 1
- noun ostentation showiness 1
- noun ostentation pretentiousness 1
- uncountable noun ostentation If you describe someone's behaviour as ostentation, you are criticizing them for doing or buying things in order to impress people. 0
Information block about the term
Origin of ostentation
First appearance:
before 1425 One of the 25% oldest English words
1425-75; late Middle English ostentacioun < Middle French ostentation < Latin ostentātiōn- (stem of ostentātiō), equivalent to ostentāt(us) past participle of ostentāre to display, exhibit, frequentative of ostendere to present, display (equivalent to os-, var of ob- ob- + ten(dere) to stretch + -t- frequentative suffix + -ātus -ate1) + -iōn- -ion
Historical Comparancy
Parts of speech for Ostentation
noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
ostentation popularity
A pretty common term. Usually people know it’s meaning, but prefer to use a more spread out synonym. About 55% of English native speakers know the meaning and use word.
This word is included in each student's vocabulary. Most likely there is at least one movie with this word in the title.
ostentation usage trend in Literature
This diagram is provided by Google Ngram ViewerSynonyms for ostentation
noun ostentation
- flashiness — The quality of being flashy.
- pretension — the laying of a claim to something.
- display — to show or exhibit; make visible: to display a sign.
- showiness — the property or characteristic of being showy.
- affectation — If you say that someone's attitude or behaviour is an affectation, you disapprove of the fact that it is not genuine or natural, but is intended to impress other people.
Antonyms for ostentation
noun ostentation
- modesty — the quality of being modest; freedom from vanity, boastfulness, etc.
- concealment — Concealment is the state of being hidden or the act of hiding something.
- dullness — not sharp; blunt: a dull knife.
- hiding — the pelt or skin of one of the larger animals (cow, horse, buffalo, etc.), raw or dressed.
- ordinariness — of no special quality or interest; commonplace; unexceptional: One novel is brilliant, the other is decidedly ordinary; an ordinary person.
Top questions with ostentation
- what does ostentation mean?
- what is ostentation?
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See also
Matching words
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