trinket
Americannoun
-
trinkets
plural
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a small ornament, piece of jewelry, etc., usually of little value.
-
anything of trivial value.
verb (used without object)
noun
-
a small or worthless ornament or piece of jewellery
-
a trivial object; trifle
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of trinket
First recorded in 1525–35; origin uncertain
Explanation
The word trinket refers to an inexpensive, flashy ornament or piece of jewelry. A rhinestone brooch to pin to your jacket is a showy trinket that won't break the bank. Trinkets aren't always made to be worn like jewelry. The word trinket can also refer to novelty items such as silly magnets with sayings on them or keepsake spoons. If you've ever stopped into a store at the airport that sells goods like keychains, mugs, and buttons, then you've seen trinkets. Trinkets are often purchased on a vacation — they're small enough to stick into your pockets before you board the plane home.
Vocabulary lists containing trinket
Lyrical vocabulary: Return to the '70s
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Mardi Gras: Fun
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"Rules of the Game" (from The Joy Luck Club) by Amy Tan
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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.
See Examples For:
She uses it to make anything from trinket boxes to ornate geometric vases to statuettes of quizzical creatures.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 17, 2026
Roughly a year ago, the threshold for a second trinket dropped to 25 plates instead of 30, enticing people to up their plate count from the low 20s to 25, according to Uttz, the CFO.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 9, 2026
One analyst hasn’t been taken in, characterizing it as an effort to ride last year’s Labubu-led trinket craze.
From MarketWatch ● Jan. 29, 2026
They paid £140 for a George Johnson 1908 Royal Worcester flamingo trinket box.
From BBC ● Mar. 13, 2025
“Ain’t that something. So, you know what I done, Ignatius. I give her a quarter and I says, ‘Here, darling, go buy you a trinket for your little granchirren.’”
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
She remembers when the blocks up to Tin Hau Temple brimmed with food carts, trinkets, and the occasional fortune-teller.
From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026
Her answer was definite: We should sort out and sell or give away almost all of our trinkets, T-shirts, books and baubles before we die—rather than leaving a dreary chore for friends or families.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 19, 2026
Notepads and trinkets, curious vintage-y things with animals or interesting patterns, strange candles.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 20, 2026
The novel emerged as he began writing about the objects he had saved, everything from family keepsakes to trinkets picked up at the bazaars, which gradually brought his characters to life.
From Barron's ● Feb. 13, 2026
She pointed to the trinkets on the blanket, eager to change the subject.
From "Beasts of Prey" by Ayana Gray
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
