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Synonyms

gimmick

American  
[gim-ik] / ˈgɪm ɪk /

noun

  1. an ingenious or novel device, scheme, or stratagem, especially one designed to attract attention or increase appeal.

    Synonyms:
    angle, ploy, ruse, plan, stunt

  2. a concealed, usually devious aspect or feature of something, as a plan or deal.

    An offer that good must have a gimmick in it somewhere.

  3. a hidden mechanical device by which a magician works a trick or a gambler controls a game of chance.

  4. Electronics Informal. a capacitor formed by intertwining two insulated wires.

verb (used with object)

  1. to equip or embellish with unnecessary features, especially in order to increase salability, acceptance, etc. (often followed byup ).

    to gimmick up a sports car with chrome and racing stripes.

verb (used without object)

  1. to resort to gimmickry, especially habitually.

gimmick British  
/ ˈɡɪmɪk /

noun

  1. something designed to attract extra attention, interest, or publicity

  2. any clever device, gadget, or stratagem, esp one used to deceive

  3. a device or trick of legerdemain that enables a magician to deceive the audience

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • gimmicker noun
  • gimmickry noun
  • gimmicky adjective
  • ungimmicky adjective

Etymology

Origin of gimmick

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

A statement said: "Utterly destroying HG Wells' classic novel, director Rich Lee... chose a goofy gimmick, hack dialogue, and a particularly hilarious performance by its lead, Ice Cube, to seize 2025's biggest number of statues."

From BBC • Mar. 14, 2026

“Just like ‘Avatar,’” Mabel notes, as if to emphasize that the gimmick isn’t exactly fresh.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026

The firms that treat prompting AI as something to become fluent in — not a gimmick or tertiary function — will win.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 25, 2026

"It's not just a gimmick, he buys into what the club means and what it means to the wider city," Swansea chief executive Tom Gorringe told BBC Wales.

From Barron's • Feb. 25, 2026

If he put them on in the garage, they must be part of his sales gimmick.

From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.