Ron Miller
Did you know?
Have you ever browsed through a flea market or thrift shop? If so, chances are you’re well-acquainted with kitsch, the various bits and bobs of popular culture—fuzzy dice, plastic flamingos, cartoon-themed plastic lunchboxes, etc.—that enjoy widespread popularity but don’t hold much cultural esteem. Or maybe you’re a fan of (what some might call) cheesy movies—action movies and rom-coms that score big at the box office but are panned by critics—kitsch often applies to them, too, as well as to “lowbrow” art of all kinds. English users borrowed kitsch in the early 20th century from German; according to scholars the word was popularized by Munich painters and art dealers in the 1860s and 1870s who used it to refer to popular and cheap artwork. The word’s earlier origins are found in the German verb kitschen, meaning “to slap something (such as a work of art) together” as well as “to scrape up mud from the street.” Despite these muddy origins and the disapproving tone with which kitsch is often deployed, kitsch is not quite the “dirty” word it once was—kitsch today is as likely to be celebrated as it is to be derided.
Examples of kitsch in a Sentence
Peter Debruge, Variety, 7 Sep. 2025
Jennifer Lawrence elevated the most basic ballet flats by doubling down on millennial kitsch, opting for a stiff gold bangle on one foot and two mismatched ankle chains on the other.
—Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2025
Tucked behind a playful pink door on NE 30th Ave, Gabbiano’s serves unapologetically hearty, red-sauce classics with just the right amount of kitsch.
—Chelsea Frank, Forbes.com, 12 Aug. 2025
Today, the island, now better known as Statia, is one of the least known in the Caribbean, free of touristy kitsch and crowds.
—Jeannette Cooperman, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kitsch
Cite this Entry
“Kitsch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kitsch. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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