curios

noun

plural of curio
1
as in ornamentals
a small object displayed for its attractiveness or interest be careful of the fragile curios on the end tables

Synonyms & Similar Words

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2
as in rarities
something strange or unusual that is an object of interest a museum's collection of curios brought back from the Far East by 19th-century traders

Synonyms & Similar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of curios The villas are filled with books, instruments, games, curios and thoughtful details that suggest actual living rather than generic hospitality design. — Arion McNicoll, TheWeek, 15 June 2026 From room to room walls are covered in blue block prints or hot-pink illustrations of pear trees, while floors are scattered with artisanal rugs and a collection of curios—a rooster statue, a floral dress form—is hidden all over. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026 Conscription and extensive civil defense shelters, now historical curios in much of the West, remain bedrock elements of Finnish defense. — Liam Denning, Bloomberg, 12 Mar. 2026 Meanwhile, admirers, colleagues and gallery workers have sent her curios from New Mexico, Tennessee, New England and beyond. — Leigh-Ann Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 20 Feb. 2026 Other items will also be available, such as jewelry, curios, knick-knacks, puzzles and more. — Andrea Manes, Oc Register, 15 Jan. 2026 Advertisement While most fish-out-of-water stories are keen to highlight the strangeness of the world in which the protagonist has embedded themselves, Rental Family treats the curios of Japanese culture with the utmost respect and a naturalistic approach. — Barry Levitt, Time, 21 Nov. 2025 Frankenstein was even part of the dark ’n’ gritty action-horror hybrid trend of the 2010s, bringing us weird curios like Frankenstein’s Army (2013) and I, Frankenstein (2014). — Katie Rife, Vulture, 9 Nov. 2025 Made in Ancient Egypt, which opened this month at Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum, features commemorative stela, golden coffins and masks, and sundry curios created in a style that changed very little down the centuries. — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for curios
  1. ornamentals
  2. rarities
  3. novelties
  4. curiosities
  5. souvenirs
  6. ornaments
  7. trinkets
  8. knickknacks
Noun
  • Gardeners can naturally reduce beetle populations and protect their landscapes by planting geraniums among more susceptible ornamentals.
    — SJ McShane, Martha Stewart, 11 July 2026
  • While the company has changed its product over the years, from produce to ornamentals, he's always grown to serve his local community.
    — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 25 June 2026
Definition of ornamentals
Noun
  • Unlike Russell, whose legacy has been beautifully maintained in books, films, and re-releases, Hall’s solo work has only been available as a series of rarities and independent releases.
    — Harry Tafoya, Pitchfork, 9 July 2026
  • In his one-year-old West Hollywood restaurant Darling, a large listening bar is centered in the middle of the airy room, the plywood shelves filled with rarities from Dolly Parton to Merle Haggard…and sometimes a touch of Madonna.
    — Pat Saperstein, Variety, 26 June 2026
Definition of rarities
Noun
  • Yet the Village People’s hits endured in a way few other disco novelties could, forever blasted out at weddings and occasionally ill-fitting public events.
    — Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 1 July 2026
  • The 2026 edition was one for the books, with a record 66 houses showcasing their latest novelties to around 60,000 visitors in Geneva and nearly 1 billion online.
    — Rachel Cormack, Robb Report, 23 June 2026
Definition of novelties
Noun
  • Other curiosities and antiques are scattered throughout the house, many of which were sourced at the Saint-Ouen flea market in Paris.
    — Annabelle Dufraigne, Architectural Digest, 14 July 2026
  • Meanwhile, here are a few more pieces of trivia, oddities and curiosities coming out of the 2026 Emmy nominations.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 10 July 2026
Definition of curiosities
Noun
  • Antique vendors line the square with objects that feel less like souvenirs and more like pieces from someone’s old apartment, old bar, or old life.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 15 July 2026
  • Snapchat mastermind and man who gets a lot of money to play soccer, Erling Haaland, is out of the World Cup and headed back to Norway, but not without some souvenirs.
    — Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 14 July 2026
Definition of souvenirs
Noun
  • Saleh sometimes leads painting workshops where participants can decorate items like ornaments and lampshades.
    — Lisa Boone, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026
  • For the past decade, Heidi Vermilyea has been in charge of the parade souvenirs, selling hats, t-shirts, and Christmas tree ornaments out of a blue trailer.
    — Susan Bence, NPR, 4 July 2026
Definition of ornaments
Noun
  • Excessive Trinkets Having too many trinkets on your shelves can read as chaotic and disorganized.
    — Caroline Lubinsky, Martha Stewart, 16 July 2026
  • Right off The Avenue is the Baltimore Trinket Library, full of keychains, stickers, buttons, pins, zines, works of art, and trinkets.
    — Mary Eber, CBS News, 14 July 2026
Definition of trinkets
Noun
  • A lot of those people have Victoria Baumann and Charlie Moreton to thank, the father-daughter duo behind Victoria Essie Studio that produces fidget toys and other knickknacks out of their homes in North Carolina.
    — Jennifer Liu Valentina Duarte, CNBC, 14 June 2026
  • Small knickknacks, like salt and pepper shakers, can be cute, but thrifting experts recommend against buying them at garage sales.
    — Heather Bien, Martha Stewart, 7 June 2026
Definition of knickknacks

Browse Nearby Words

curio
curios
curiosa
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Cite this Entry

“Curios.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/curios. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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