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.

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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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of gimmick

An Americanism dating back to 1925–30; origin uncertain

Explanation

A gimmick is a trick intended to attract attention. If you lure crowds to your bake sale by having popular football players handing out samples in front of your booth, that’s a gimmick. A gimmick is often used by businesses to sell a product. As a sales gimmick, your local bank might offer free microwave ovens to people who open new savings accounts. A TV show may air a live episode as a gimmick to get people to watch the show. The word sometimes has a slightly negative connotation — there’s often some flashy trickery involved in a gimmick and it doesn’t always add value to what’s being sold.

Example Sentences

If people are saying, “Oh, it’s just a gimmick, you shouldn’t do it,” I’d say that’s an absurd argument at its core.

From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026

It may sound like a gimmick but the supermarket chain's venture into the world of hospitality shines a light on something more complex.

From BBC • May 31, 2026

Manufactured in Los Angeles, they first appeared on the highways of North America in the early 1960s as an advertising gimmick, often promoting car lots or car parts.

From Los Angeles Times • May 12, 2026

Nevertheless, do the investors in the purchasing fund realize that its returns are artificially boosted by an accounting gimmick instead of investing expertise?

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Every business needed a gimmick, I suppose, and hers clearly worked if she could afford a pad like this.

From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda

Related Words

• artifice
• device
• fun
• gadget
• gizmo
• instrument
• maneuver
• method
• ploy
• ruse
• stratagem
• stunt
• trick