tinsel
Americannoun
-
a glittering metallic substance, as copper or brass, in thin sheets, used in pieces, strips, threads, etc., to produce a sparkling effect cheaply.
-
a metallic yarn, usually wrapped around a core yarn of silk, rayon, or cotton, for weaving brocade or lamé.
-
anything showy or attractive with little or no real worth; showy pretense.
The actress was tired of the fantasy and tinsel of her life.
-
Obsolete. a fabric, formerly in use, of silk or wool interwoven with threads of gold, silver, or, later, copper.
verb (used with object)
-
to adorn with tinsel.
-
to adorn with anything glittering.
-
to make showy or gaudy.
noun
-
a decoration consisting of a piece of string with thin strips of metal foil attached along its length
-
a yarn or fabric interwoven with strands of glittering thread
-
anything cheap, showy, and gaudy
verb
-
to decorate with or as if with tinsel
snow tinsels the trees
-
to give a gaudy appearance to
adjective
-
made of or decorated with tinsel
-
showily but cheaply attractive; gaudy
Other Word Forms
- overtinsel verb (used with object)
- tinsel-like adjective
- tinsellike adjective
- tinselly adjective
- untinseled adjective
- untinselled adjective
Etymology
Origin of tinsel
First recorded in 1495–1505; by shortening of Middle French estincelle ( Old French estincele ) “a spark, flash,” from Vulgar Latin stincilla, unrecorded variant of Latin scintilla; first used attributively in phrases tinsel satin, tinsel cloth; scintilla
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.
“For that, we added lots of swallow-tailed ribbons for an extra pop of color … underneath all the tinsel which is Zooey’s absolute favorite!” he added.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 30, 2025
"There wasn't necessarily a massive amount of choice, but the choice was for these kind of bright space age tinsel decorations... the majority from Hong Kong," says Lucy, 45, from Birmingham.
From BBC • Dec. 20, 2025
Griffiths doesn’t fight against the formula, he just takes our expectations for every scene and gingers them up a little, the movie version of a cozy sweater threaded with tinsel.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 27, 2025
As the fireworks crackled, the tinsel fell and the lap of honour snaked around the vast stadium, it felt like the beginning of something.
From BBC • Mar. 16, 2025
As I work the brush along the chain, it is transformed from a dull gray to the color of tinsel.
From "Orphan Train" by Christina Baker Kline
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.
