gaudy
/ˈɡɔːdi/adjective, noun
gaudy is spelled G-A-U-D-Y: 5 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,748th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, gaudy means “Very showy or ornamented, now especially when excessive, or in a tasteless or vulgar manner” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in gaudy?
| Letters | 5: G-A-U-D-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 1 million words; the 35,748th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is gaudy?
Gaudy appears about once in every 1 million words in written English, the 35,748th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce gaudy?
- UK /ˈɡɔːdi/
- British /ˈɡoːdɪj/
- /ˈɡɔ.de/
Gaudy has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-au-gaudy.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of gaudy
- gaudier comparative
- gaudiest superlative
- gaudies plural
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does gaudy mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Very showy or ornamented, now especially when excessive, or in a tasteless or vulgar manner.
They were all trapped out in the gaudiest of clothes.
- 2
obsoleteFun; merry; festive.
noun
- 1
A reunion held by one of the colleges of the University of Oxford for alumni, normally during the long vacation.
- 2
archaicOne of the large beads in the rosary at which the paternoster is recited.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Gaudy in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense very showy or ornamented:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | voyant, criard, surfait, kitsch, vulgaire |
| German | knallig, grell, protzig, kitschig, aufsehenerregend, knallbunt |
| Portuguese | espalhafatoso, vistoso, chamativo |
| Spanish | llamativo, vistoso, sobrecargado, vulgar, feúcho, chillón |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does gaudy come from?
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.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).