trinket
Americannoun
-
trinkets
plural
-
a small ornament, piece of jewelry, etc., usually of little value.
-
anything of trivial value.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a small or worthless ornament or piece of jewellery
-
a trivial object; trifle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of trinket
First recorded in 1525–35; origin uncertain
Explanation
The word trinket refers to an inexpensive, flashy ornament or piece of jewelry. A rhinestone brooch to pin to your jacket is a showy trinket that won't break the bank. Trinkets aren't always made to be worn like jewelry. The word trinket can also refer to novelty items such as silly magnets with sayings on them or keepsake spoons. If you've ever stopped into a store at the airport that sells goods like keychains, mugs, and buttons, then you've seen trinkets. Trinkets are often purchased on a vacation — they're small enough to stick into your pockets before you board the plane home.
Vocabulary lists containing trinket
Lyrical vocabulary: Return to the '70s
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Mardi Gras: Fun
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"Rules of the Game" (from The Joy Luck Club) by Amy Tan
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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.
See Examples For:
McDonald’s soon followed, launching in 1979 its Happy Meal, which came with a free circus animal trinket — a lion, elephant, hippo or bear.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2026
Roughly a year ago, the threshold for a second trinket dropped to 25 plates instead of 30, enticing people to up their plate count from the low 20s to 25, according to Uttz, the CFO.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
One analyst hasn’t been taken in, characterizing it as an effort to ride last year’s Labubu-led trinket craze.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 29, 2026
From an £800 trinket box to a rusty ice cream fridge receiving zero bids, Bargain Hunt has seen thousands of items go under the hammer.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2025
He lined it with bits of dirty newspapers and rags, and whenever he found a trinket or a keepsake he carried it home and stored it there.
From "Charlotte's Web" by E.B. White
In his early 20s, Anderson was enjoying life in Goa, India, selling trinkets to tourists on the beach.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
Stockpiling some trinkets will help you avoid the scramble.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026
She remembers when the blocks up to Tin Hau Temple brimmed with food carts, trinkets, and the occasional fortune-teller.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
His Batman fandom is also abundantly clear in the more than two dozen items of Batman-inspired art, furniture and trinkets that are also up for sale.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 6, 2026
To the Europeans’ confusion, their steel and cloth did not interest the Narragansett, who wanted to swap only for “little bells, blue crystals, and other trinkets to put in the ear or around the neck.”
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
