variants
also geegaw
as in ornamental
a small object displayed for its attractiveness or interest
had a shelf devoted just to gewgaws featuring his favorite team's mascot
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of gewgaw
Words that foiled spellers included chrysal, athanor, cloxacillin, heliconius, torticollis, platylepadid and gewgaw, and at one point judges had to review a video replay to determine whether a speller said the letter I or Y.
—
New York Times, 9 July 2021
And how nice to see Cynthia Erivo — to really see the woman and not have her overwhelmed by an elaborate mishmash of ruffles and gewgaws.
—Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2020
Loaded to the gills with all-wheel drive, digital gewgaws and two-tone leather interior, my racy coupe stickered for $62,000 — a healthy $20,000 cheaper than a comparable BMW M4 coupe.
—Tribune News Service, cleveland, 28 Dec. 2019
Giveaways are a universal phenomenon, but Silicon Valley has made free gewgaws and gadgets an integral part of its culture.
—Owen Thomas, SFChronicle.com, 24 July 2019
The nihilistic gewgaw, vacuous and vulgar, instead embodies the mythos that can be manufactured in a crude market-culture that primarily values art as a luxury asset.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2019
Graphics: Your choice of desktop-class RTX 2060, 2070, or 2080
Display: Your choice of four 17.3-inch FHD (1920x1080) displays, with or without touch, with or without gewgaws like Tobii eye-tracking.
—Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld, 8 Jan. 2019
Bookstores should be designed to bring us closer together, not modeled after an open prairie dotted with books and assorted gewgaws — puzzles, Lego kits, Polaroid cameras.
—John Warner, chicagotribune.com, 6 June 2018
Gary Oldman, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney have all won Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and countless other prizes and gewgaws in the weeks leading up to the Oscars.
—Glenn Whipp, latimes.com, 20 Feb. 2018
New York Times, 9 July 2021
And how nice to see Cynthia Erivo — to really see the woman and not have her overwhelmed by an elaborate mishmash of ruffles and gewgaws.
—Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2020
Loaded to the gills with all-wheel drive, digital gewgaws and two-tone leather interior, my racy coupe stickered for $62,000 — a healthy $20,000 cheaper than a comparable BMW M4 coupe.
—Tribune News Service, cleveland, 28 Dec. 2019
Giveaways are a universal phenomenon, but Silicon Valley has made free gewgaws and gadgets an integral part of its culture.
—Owen Thomas, SFChronicle.com, 24 July 2019
The nihilistic gewgaw, vacuous and vulgar, instead embodies the mythos that can be manufactured in a crude market-culture that primarily values art as a luxury asset.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2019
Graphics: Your choice of desktop-class RTX 2060, 2070, or 2080
Display: Your choice of four 17.3-inch FHD (1920x1080) displays, with or without touch, with or without gewgaws like Tobii eye-tracking.
—Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld, 8 Jan. 2019
Bookstores should be designed to bring us closer together, not modeled after an open prairie dotted with books and assorted gewgaws — puzzles, Lego kits, Polaroid cameras.
—John Warner, chicagotribune.com, 6 June 2018
Gary Oldman, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney have all won Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and countless other prizes and gewgaws in the weeks leading up to the Oscars.
—Glenn Whipp, latimes.com, 20 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gewgaw
Noun
-
This tree was widely planted as an ornamental for its fall color, as a nectar source for honeybees, and as a source of vegetable tallow used in cosmetics and candles.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 Dec. 2025
-
Update ornamentals This is THE time of year to add new plants to your garden — or plant a completely new garden.—
Nan Sterman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
6 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
After removing ornaments and dusting your tree, go ahead and dismantle it.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Jan. 2026
-
The Four Freedoms Roosevelt named were not rhetorical ornaments offered as inspiration so much as a diagnosis.—
Philip Martin,
Washington Post,
7 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
For accessories, Moore opted for dainty baubles from Shay Jewelry.—
Kelsey Stewart,
Footwear News,
31 Oct. 2025
-
Aside from Larsson, other trendsetters are joining in on the trend, attaching chains, keychains and other baubles to their jeans.—
Andre Claudio,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Oct. 2025
Noun
-
The space doubles as a concept store specializing in everything Japandi (a blend of Scandinavian functionality and Japanese minimalism), such as incense from Japan’s Awaji Island and chrome desktop tchotchkes.—
Chris Schalkx,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Jan. 2026
-
During Ghost Month, the seventh month of the Chinese lunisolar calendar, auctioneers sell seemingly ordinary items—backpacks, calculators, tchotchkes—imbued with a spiritual charge thought to bring good luck.—
Dan Piepenbring,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gewgaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gewgaw. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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