gadget

noun

gad·​get ˈga-jət 

: an often small mechanical or electronic device with a practical use but often thought of as a novelty

gadgetry

ˈga-jə-trē 

noun

gadgety

ˈga-jə-tē 

adjective

Synonyms of gadget

• tool
• appliance
• gizmo
• contraption
• widget
• accessory
• mechanism
• innovation

Examples of gadget in a Sentence

The kitchen is equipped with all the latest gadgets.

cell phones, pagers, and other gadgets

Recent Examples on the Web

While we're used to being able to recharge virtually every other personal gadget in our arsenal, this one doesn't have a charging port. —Abhimanyu Ghoshal, New Atlas, 10 Dec. 2025

As someone who often travels with a laptop, my favorite feature is the padded front gadget compartment, which opens with a TSA lock and reveals a secret space to store my computer and essential travel documents. —Destinee Scott, Travel + Leisure, 8 Dec. 2025

Amazon’s clever kitchen gadgets and appliances don’t stop here. —Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 7 Dec. 2025

For a coffee lover on the road, one indispensable gadget is the AeroPress Go ($40), a small, lightweight plastic cylinder that brews quite nice coffee by plunging hot water through a bed of grounds atop a paper filter. —Kelefa Sanneh, New Yorker, 6 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

perhaps a sound-symbolic coinage, with final as in fidget entry 1, midget, idjit (nonstandard form of idiot)

First Known Use

1886, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for gadget

• areopagite

Kids Definition

gadget

noun

gad·​get ˈgaj-ət 

: an interesting, unfamiliar, or unusual device with a practical use

gadgetry

ˈgaj-ə-trē 

noun