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Flamboyant, which was borrowed into English from French in the 19th century, can be traced back to Old French flambe, meaning "flame." In its earliest uses flamboyant referred to a style of architecture, often in the florid French Gothic style, which featured waving curves that suggested flames. Eventually, the word developed a more general second sense for anything eye-catching or showy. And of course, Old French flambe is also the origin of the English adjective flambé.
Synonyms
Examples of flamboyant in a Sentence
Stephen Schiff, New Yorker, 28 Dec. 1992–4 Jan. 1993
Equally flamboyant is the group's singer, Andy Bell, who prances around the stage dressed at various times like an astronaut, a space creature or a Mexican senorita.
—Jim Farber, Video Review, August 1990
… he was living in the flamboyant, urbane manner he craved, in an apartment that suited his Balzacian fantasies of success …
—Raymond Sokolov, Wayward Reporter, 1980
the flamboyant gestures of the conductor
has a gallery of flamboyant gestures that makes him easy to imitate
Rebecca Keegan, The Hollywood Reporter, 30 Sep. 2024
The right-handed hitter signed for $150,000 in 2021 as a flamboyant shortstop.
—Chuck Murr, Forbes, 25 Sep. 2024
Along the way, he’s garnered plenty of attention with his brand of flamboyant glamour, dressing celebrities such as Beyoncé, Cardi B and Rosalía.
—Lily Templeton, WWD, 24 Sep. 2024
Williams’ co-star Chris Perfetti also went for ruffles, pairing his wide-legged, floor-length pants with a flamboyant shirt from Christian Siriano’s Spring 2025 ready-to-wear collection.
—Oscar Holland, CNN, 16 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for flamboyant 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'flamboyant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near flamboyant
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“Flamboyant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/flamboyant. Accessed 18 Oct. 2024.
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