trinket

noun

trin·​ket ˈtriŋ-kət How to pronounce trinket (audio)
1
: a small ornament (such as a jewel or ring)
2
: a small article of equipment
3
: a thing of little value : trifle

Examples of trinket in a Sentence

the top of his desk was littered with trinkets that were collected as souvenirs from various vacations
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The same goes for my nightstands, which are also fairly small and constantly occupied by my Kindle, physical books, water bottle, and trinkets. Brenda Stolyar, Wired News, 27 May 2025 So long as Netanyahu refuses to go along with any of Trump’s grand diplomatic initiatives, which might require him to end the Gaza war or entertain some semblance of Palestinian statehood, Israel has nothing to give Trump other than symbolic trinkets. Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 22 May 2025 Hats, shirts, jackets, jerseys, cards, and assorted trinkets continue to disappear as quickly as the baseballs Ohtani routinely hits over the fence. Dan Schlossberg, Forbes.com, 28 Apr. 2025 In New Orleans, a growing number of organizations focus on recycling the plastic trinkets and extra glass and aluminum trash from the season. Troy Aidan Sambajon, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for trinket

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

circa 1527, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of trinket was circa 1527

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Trinket.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trinket. Accessed 2 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

trinket

noun
trin·​ket ˈtriŋ-kət How to pronounce trinket (audio)
1
: a small ornament (as a jewel or ring)
2
: a thing of little value

More from Merriam-Webster on trinket

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!