German word

grell

Pronunciation

IPA/gʁɛl/

Meaning

  • adjectiveflashy

Example

Er trägt ein grelles Hemd.

He is wearing a flashy shirt.

Illustration for grell (flashy)

More examples

Die Plakate zeigen grelle Farben.

The posters show garish colors.

Core concept

A shirt in an unnaturally intense color that feels too strong for its setting.

Common phrases

  • grelle Farben

    garish colors

  • grelles Make-up

    garish makeup

  • grelle Werbung

    garish advertising

Similar words

knallig: Extremely vivid in color and visually stimulating.
auffällig: Clearly noticeable because it stands out from its surroundings.
bunt: Full of several bright colors, creating a lively and colorful appearance.
hell: Giving off plenty of light or appearing light rather than dark.

Definition in German

Auffällig hell oder bunt, oft störend und stark ins Auge fallend.

Word origin

Middle High German grel or grelle is the source of grell, which developed from describing harsh impressions to describing excessive brightness and color.

Usage tips

  • English flashy can sound positive, but German grell usually suggests that brightness or color is unpleasantly excessive.

Other meanings

  • garishadjective
  • glaringadjective

Opposites

  • gedämpftmutedadjective
  • schlichtplainadjective

Related words

  • Grelltongarish huenoun
  • grellfarbengarish-coloredadjective

Word lists with this word