kitchen-sink

adjective

kitch·​en-sink ˈki-chən-ˈsiŋk 

1

: being or made up of a hodgepodge of disparate elements or ingredients

2

chiefly British : portraying or emphasizing the squalid aspects of modern life

the kitchen-sink realism of contemporary British drama

—Current Biography

Synonyms

• assorted
• eclectic
• heterogeneous
• indiscriminate
• magpie
• miscellaneous
• mixed
• motley
• patchwork
• piebald
• promiscuous
• raggle-taggle
• ragtag
• varied

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

But unlike a mere spa, wellness centers are vast, kitchen-sink affairs spanning entire building floors, sometimes multiple stories, with amenities like aromatherapy pools, meditation gardens, and quiet rooms. —Jillian Dara, Robb Report, 25 May 2023

Such lofty creative goals engender a certain degree of risk, and there are times when the blend of larger-than-life action adventure with kitchen-sink realism doesn’t really work. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 24 May 2023

The competition field also includes the latest — and reportedly final — kitchen-sink drama from 86-year-old British master and past Palme winner Ken Loach. —Scott Feinberg, The Hollywood Reporter, 16 May 2023

Director Michael Morris’s kitchen-sink drama about an alcoholic lottery winner was almost entirely unheard of prior to January, when stars such as Edward Norton and Gwyneth Paltrow began gushing about the performance of its lead, Andrea Riseborough. —Vulture, 7 Mar. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1954, in the meaning defined at sense 2