glitz
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
noun
Etymology
Origin of glitz
First recorded in 1975–80; back formation from glitzy
Explanation
Glitz is a cheap or gaudy flashiness. A sparkly, sequined dress that's really shiny but not very well made has glitz, but it may not be the most tasteful outfit for your grandparents' anniversary party. The decorating committee for a high school prom might be aiming for sophistication and end up with glitz, with spangles and glitter that's all a bit too much. If someone talks about the "glitz and glamour" of a party, the guests' clothes were probably pretty flashy. In Yiddish, glitz means "glitter," from the German root glitzern, "sparkle" or "glittering." In English, glitzy came first, probably influenced by the word ritzy.
Vocabulary lists containing glitz
Portmanteaus: Vocab Mash-Ups
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English Words Derived from Yiddish
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Mardi Gras: Fun
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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.
Many French A-listers, drawn to the understated charm of Cap-Ferret over the glitz of the French Riviera, spend their vacations there or own homes on the peninsula.
From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026
News that she has no regrets about walking away from the glitz and glamour, saying the decision was what was best for both her family and her mental health.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
While Si was tied to the glitz and glamour of magazine business Condé Nast, Donald was a newspaper man at heart, known as a financially savvy publisher who respected his papers’ editorial independence.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
Founded in 1991, Anta began far from the glitz and the glamour of Beverly Hills as a small manufacturer in Jinjiang city in the south-eastern province of Fujian.
From BBC ● Apr. 26, 2026
I am a travesty, in bad make-up and someone else’s clothes, used glitz.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
