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Showing results for gimcrack. Search instead for gimcracky.
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

True, much of commercial fiction, including some of the most successful titles, is gimcrack palaver.

From Slate Mar. 7, 2017

Now plastic everywhere is thought such gimcrack stuff, ripe for landfill, and this attitude is passed off as naïve.

From New York Times Apr. 21, 2016

Burgee's long, low house was indecently plain, without even so much as a gimcrack or bit of gingerbread decoration.

From Sugar Plum by Bretnor, Reginald

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