gimmick

1 of 2

noun

gim·​mick ˈgi-mik How to pronounce gimmick (audio)
1
a
: a mechanical device for secretly and dishonestly controlling gambling apparatus
b
: an ingenious or novel mechanical device : gadget
2
a
: an important feature that is not immediately apparent : catch
… few readers would look for a gimmick in an advertisement featuring airline schedules, but few would fail to look for the fine print in an ad announcing New Low-Price Fares.Robert L. Heilbroner
b
: an ingenious and usually new scheme or angle
Even in professional careers, mere competence and craftsmanship is no substitute for a gimmick.James Poniewozik
c
: a trick or device used to attract business or attention
a marketing gimmick
gimmicky adjective

gimmick

2 of 2

verb

gimmicked; gimmicking; gimmicks

transitive verb

1
: to alter or influence by means of a gimmick
2
: to provide with a gimmick
often used with up

Examples of gimmick in a Sentence

Noun The proposal to cut taxes was just an election gimmick to win votes. that free dinner is just a sales gimmick to get you to listen to their sales pitch
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Zimmerman himself mans Shudder’s Halloween Hotline, a gimmick to connect with current and potential subscribers that started during COVID. Tony Maglio, IndieWire, 1 Oct. 2024 With family members texting, emailing, Facetiming, and calling each other throughout like a digital British farce, the humor elevates what could have been a gimmick into a loving spoof of how all these devices can feed into parental paranoia. Tanya Melendez, EW.com, 29 Sep. 2024
Verb
But this requires much more reliable AI models—not gimmicks such as large language models that can write Shakespearean sonnets. Daron Acemoglu, Fortune, 6 Aug. 2024 Depending on the precise circumstances under which the United Kingdom leaves the EU, nationalists or unionists will be in a far stronger position to gimmick the long-term odds in their favor. Henry Farrell, Foreign Affairs, 29 Mar. 2018 See all Example Sentences for gimmick 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'gimmick.' 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 and Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1908, in the meaning defined at sense 1b

Verb

1922, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of gimmick was in 1908

Dictionary Entries Near gimmick

Cite this Entry

“Gimmick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gimmick. Accessed 13 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

gimmick

noun
gim·​mick
ˈgim-ik
1
a
: an ingenious scheme or device
b
: a trick or device used to attract business or attention
a marketing gimmick
2
: an important feature that is not immediately apparent
gimmicky
-i-kē
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on gimmick

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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