Etymology of "Gaudy": From Latin Gaudia to Modern Pejorative

Gaudy ← Middle English gaude ← Old French gaudir ← Latin gaudere ("to rejoice").

Evolution:

1. 13th c.: "joyful, festive" (gaudy day = feast day).
2. 16th c.: "bright, showy" – often pejorative (excessive ornament).
3. Modern: "tastelessly flashy, vulgar, ostentatious."

Related: gaud (n., a showy ornament).