tinsel

1 of 3

noun

tin·​sel ˈtin(t)-səl How to pronounce tinsel (audio)
 also  ˈtin-zəl
1
: threads, strips, or sheets of metal, paper, or plastic used to produce a glittering and sparkling appearance in fabrics, yarns, or decorations
2
: something superficially attractive or glamorous but of little real worth
disfigured by no gaudy tinsel of rhetoric or declamationThomas Jefferson

tinsel

2 of 3

adjective

1
: made of or covered with tinsel
2
a
: cheaply gaudy : tawdry
b
: specious, superficial
tinsel promises

tinsel

3 of 3

verb

tinseled or tinselled; tinseling or tinselling ˈtin(t)-s(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce tinsel (audio)
 also  ˈtin-zə-liŋ

transitive verb

1
: to interweave, overlay, or adorn with or as if with tinsel
2
: to impart a specious brightness to

Examples of tinsel in a Sentence

Noun I like to decorate the Christmas tree with tinsel. He's not attracted to the tinsel and glitter of Hollywood.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Depending on the light, the blue tinsel pattern almost blends in. Sean Hollister, The Verge, 21 Feb. 2024 Dazzle himself wears a cascading green A-line tinsel dress, which appears to fall out of a red plastic cup worn on his head—a reference to an important vomiting experience (beware of alcoholic slushies) in one of Mac’s songs. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2024 Every day before the beans are served, Sterling, 45, tastes them, topped with a tinsel of fried rosemary and sage; a shower of Piave, a salty cheese not unlike a young Parmigiano-Reggiano; and a flourish of peppery olive oil and peppy black pepper. Eric Kim, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2024 On Wednesday, the Kylie Cosmetics founder shared a glimpse at one of her home’s Christmas trees, and this one was covered in a very divisive holiday decoration: tinsel. Antonia Debianchi, Peoplemag, 14 Dec. 2023 Anglers also should make sure all ornaments, lights and tinsel are removed from their real tree before sinking. Mike Jones, arkansasonline.com, 28 Dec. 2023 For many families in the U.K., sitting down on Christmas Day to watch the BBC’s annual adaptation of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s children’s books has become as much a holiday tradition as tinsel and mince pies. K.j. Yossman, Variety, 21 Dec. 2023 Holiday lights, tinsel, and lawn ornaments go a long way in elevating your home’s festive spirit. Maggie Gillette, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Dec. 2023 There’s a photo booth that claims to be a time portal, tinsel around the bar, and games of pool and shuffleboard often played by customers wearing cowboy apparel. Lucky Benson, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2023
Adjective
In another image where wearing a tinsel Christmas outfit with a star (above). EW.com, 1 Nov. 2023 The historic corridor running up Manhattan’s skirt is decked with balsam fir branches, weighted with tinsel, golden baubles, and pine cones. Abe Beame, Essence, 20 Dec. 2023 Among the potential hazards are tinsel on trees, as well as ribbons and string used for wrapping packages. Amy McGorry, Fox News, 25 Nov. 2023
Verb
Connor’s new prints, on the other hand, made by the industrial dye-sublimation process on aluminum, are but tinseled imitations of her own extraordinary originals. Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2018 And while my beard has tinseled, the intervening years haven’t exactly been kind to Rome either. Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 1 June 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tinsel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English tyneseyle cloth interwoven with metallic thread, probably from Anglo-French tencelé, past participle of tenceler, estenceler to sparkle — more at stencil

First Known Use

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tinsel was in 1538

Dictionary Entries Near tinsel

Cite this Entry

“Tinsel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinsel. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tinsel

noun
tin·​sel
ˈtin(t)-səl
1
: a thread, strip, or sheet of metal, paper, or plastic used to produce a glittering effect
2
: something that seems attractive but is of little worth

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