gimcrack

1 of 2

noun

gim·crack ˈjim-ˌkrak

Synonyms of gimcrack

: a showy object of little use or value : gewgaw

gimcrackery

ˈjim-ˌkra-k(ə-)rē

noun

gimcrack

2 of 2

Did you know?

Gimcrack is one of many peculiar-sounding words that have pervaded our language to refer to something ornamental and of little value. Others include bauble, trinket, knickknack, gewgaw, kickshaw and tchotchke. Bauble appears to be the oldest among the group, with known evidence of usage dating back to the 14th century. The earliest available evidence of gewgaw and kickshaw is from the 16th century, whereas gimcrack and knickknack established themselves in the 17th century. Tchotchke, borrowed from Yiddish, is by far the most recent addition to our language, first appearing as an English word in the 20th century.

Examples of gimcrack in a Sentence

Noun a remarkable amount of money is spent on gimcracks and other unnecessary items each year their apartment has enough gimcracks to fill up a novelty company's warehouse Adjective a store plastered with “going out of business” signs and notorious for selling gimcrack merchandise

Recent Examples on the Web

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Noun

January is a multiplex clearance sale, littered with horror movies as gimcrack as the unsold toys wheeled out after the holidays. —A.a. Dowd, Chron, 5 Jan. 2023