Gaudy
/ˈɡɔː.di/noun
Excessively showy or brightly ornamented.
Did you know?Gaudy is ultimately linked to a medieval counting bead used with prayer beads, so a word now meaning “over-the-top flashy” began in the quiet ritual world of devotion and repetition.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*gʰew-
“to pour, pour out; later associated with rejoicing/celebration in some descendants”
Latin
Latin
gaudēre
“to rejoice, be glad”
Old French
Old French
gaudir
“to rejoice, be merry”
Middle English
English
gaudi
“a bead used in counting prayers; a trinket or ornament”
16th–17th Century
English
gaudy
“showy, ostentatious; later, excessively bright or tastelessly ornate”
Modern English
English
gaudy
“flashy and tastelessly showy”