1 : clothed in vivid colors a garish clown. 2a : excessively or disturbingly vivid garish colors garish imagery. b : offensively or distressingly bright : glaring. 3 : tastelessly showy : flashy garish neon signs.

Is garish a negative word?

Garish comes to English from the Old Norse word gaurr, meaning "rough fellow." It is often used to describe colors, clothing, decorations, and other things that can be elegant and tasteful. Because the word connotes bad taste, however, it is rarely used in a complimentary way.

What is an example of garish?

Garish colors. The definition of garish is something showy, gaudy or overdone in a tasteless way. An example of something that would be described as garish is a giant and overdone necklace dripping with fake diamonds. Overly ostentatious; so colourful as to be in bad taste.