gadget

1 of 2

noun (1)

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

gadgeteer

2 of 2

noun (2)

gad·​ge·​teer ˌga-jə-ˈtir 

: a person who makes or is fond of gadgets

Like Loomis, he was a compulsive tinkerer and inventor whose curiosity knew no bounds. That Loomis was a lifelong gadgeteer and largely self-taught naturally appealed to Wood.

—Jennet Conant

Synonyms of gadget

Noun (1)

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

Examples of gadget in a Sentence

Noun (1)

The kitchen is equipped with all the latest gadgets.

cell phones, pagers, and other gadgets

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

There are all sorts of giant gadgets for the games, which might involve skill or stamina or being smart and involve a giant gumball machine or lickable wallpaper, per the book and movie. — Television Critic, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026

As other poorly issued smart home gadget updates have proven, extraneous technology can spoil a simple product. — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

Noun

Equally ingenious, it must be said, are the many ways Facebook and Instagram gadgeteers have of disappointing. — airmail.news, 7 Dec. 2024

Eventually, Stripe and a colleague stumble across some artifacts from the show’s main era, like the parasol carried by gadgeteer Penance Adair (Ann Skelly), and the link to the main storyline is made clear. — Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 17 May 2021

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

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

First Known Use

Noun (1)

1886, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1929, 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