costume jewelry
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of costume jewelry
An Americanism dating back to 1930–35
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.
After two years of mostly small exchanges — cookbook galleys, costume jewelry, a set of dinner plates with just the right heft — we brought home something that, improbably, shifted the cadence of our cooking.
From Salon • Aug. 19, 2025
They collected materials from local businesses and assembled small items like toys, costume jewelry, or artificial flowers.
From Textbooks • Dec. 14, 2022
In her review, critic Katie Walsh likened the movie to costume jewelry — something that seems sparkly and fun but ultimately is worthless.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 7, 2022
While his mother was buying paint at an art-supply store, Sabyasachi spied cheap Indian beads — gold, wooden, shell — catching the afternoon light and decided to design his own costume jewelry collection.
From New York Times • Jun. 22, 2022
I know it’s just costume jewelry and that none of this is real, but that doesn’t stop me from feeling the weight of the crown like a responsibility.
From "Dumplin'" by Julie Murphy
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.
