trinket
Americannoun
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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:
Hoping to confess his feelings and win her over, Bear buys Nikki a trinket at a head shop, a One Wish Willow, which the clerk warns can’t be returned.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 15, 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
“Now hand me that trinket box from your bag, and then you sit with your back against mine, so we’re both supported.”
From "Clean Getaway" by Nic Stone
“These people often prefer to be wearing gold or have gold trinkets or jewelry in their home prominently displayed,” he said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 13, 2026
She was buying plastic hair clips and silver trinkets by the dozen.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 12, 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
Now, commercial successes from trendy trinkets like Labubus to blockbuster films and videogames are helping to define China’s standing on the world stage.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 31, 2026
He arranged them carefully next to my father’s chaise like trinkets for barter, all the while recounting to himself in a small voice the catalogue of his suburban treasure.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
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.
