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Synonyms

gimcrack

American  
[jim-krak] / ˈdʒɪmˌkræk /

noun

  1. a showy, useless trifle; gewgaw.

    Synonyms:
    ornament, trinket, knickknack, bauble

adjective

  1. showy but useless.

gimcrack British  
/ ˈdʒɪmˌkræk /

adjective

  1. cheap; shoddy

"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

noun

  1. a cheap showy trifle or gadget

"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


Etymology

Origin of gimcrack

1325–75 for earlier sense; Middle English gib ( e ) crake; compare Middle English gibben to waver (< Old French giber to shake)


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:

Gewgaw, a shiny trinket Bon Voyage A trinket or a knickknack, an ornament, a kickshaw, a frippery, a gimcrack, a bibelot, a gewgaw .

From Washington Post ● Aug. 12, 2021

To call this tourist fare is merely to say that its appeal is generic and, yes, a bit gimcrack.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2018

When it comes to ludicrous, gimcrack wish-fulfillment, each of us is entitled to our own favorite flavor.

From Slate ● Jun. 23, 2016

The movie burnishes the image of this visionary C.E.O. even as it tries to peek behind the curtain at the gimcrack machinery of omnipotence.

From New York Times ● Oct. 8, 2015

So I’ll just place you on one of these gimcrack gilt chairs, and I’ll ask you to keep this one next, for me, until I make a raid on the table.

From Patty's Social Season by Carolyn Wells

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