bling-bling

Gaudy hip-hop adornment

Bling-bling is flashy, expensive jewelry or other ostentatious displays of wealth—gold chains, diamond-encrusted watches, luxury cars.

The term emerged from hip-hop culture in the late 1990s, imitating the imagined sound of light glinting off precious metals and gems.

Often shortened to bling: She showed up dripping in bling.

The word can describe the aesthetic itself: a bling lifestyle.

flashiness

glitter

Decorative metallic flecks

glitzy · shine · gleaming · radiant · luminous · eye-catching · showy · gaudy · ostentatious · flamboyant

excess

over-the-top

Excessively dramatic or extravagant

kitsch · loud · overkill · cluttered · ornate · overdone · vulgar · crass · flashy · brash

status

wealth

Abundance of valuable resources

  • richHaving much of something
  • affluentHaving abundant financial resources
  • ballerSlang for skilled player

mogul · rap · hip-hop · nouveau riche · flex · stunting · flossing · showing off · swagger · clout

jewelry

chains

Linked metal restraints

rings · earrings · watch · medallion · anklet · cufflinks · brooch · choker · tennis bracelet · pinky ring

materialism

diamond

Crystallized carbon gemstone

  • goldElement seventy-nine
  • platinumDense precious silvery metal
  • silverLustrous white precious metal

carat · precious · gemstone · jewel · encrusted · designer · luxury · expensive · pricey · costly

Categories
Opposites
ostentation and display

bling-blingunderstated

Deliberately minimized in expression

subtle · modest · unadorned · plain · subdued

material value and luxury

bling-blingcheap

Low in price

plain · worthless · shabby · no-frills · drab

cultural aesthetic

bling-blingminimalism

Aesthetic of reduction

austerity · Scandinavian design · old money · preppy · stealth wealth

Family

bling, blinged, blingy, blings

Familiarity
Top 200,000
Profile
Known to kids · Concrete · Positive · Everyday, not technical · Rated G