variants
also geegaw
as in ornamental
a small object displayed for its attractiveness or interest
had a shelf devoted just to gewgaws featuring his favorite team's mascot
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of gewgaw
Words that foiled spellers included chrysal, athanor, cloxacillin, heliconius, torticollis, platylepadid and gewgaw, and at one point judges had to review a video replay to determine whether a speller said the letter I or Y.
—
New York Times, 9 July 2021
And how nice to see Cynthia Erivo — to really see the woman and not have her overwhelmed by an elaborate mishmash of ruffles and gewgaws.
—Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2020
Loaded to the gills with all-wheel drive, digital gewgaws and two-tone leather interior, my racy coupe stickered for $62,000 — a healthy $20,000 cheaper than a comparable BMW M4 coupe.
—Tribune News Service, cleveland, 28 Dec. 2019
Giveaways are a universal phenomenon, but Silicon Valley has made free gewgaws and gadgets an integral part of its culture.
—Owen Thomas, SFChronicle.com, 24 July 2019
The nihilistic gewgaw, vacuous and vulgar, instead embodies the mythos that can be manufactured in a crude market-culture that primarily values art as a luxury asset.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2019
Graphics: Your choice of desktop-class RTX 2060, 2070, or 2080
Display: Your choice of four 17.3-inch FHD (1920x1080) displays, with or without touch, with or without gewgaws like Tobii eye-tracking.
—Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld, 8 Jan. 2019
Bookstores should be designed to bring us closer together, not modeled after an open prairie dotted with books and assorted gewgaws — puzzles, Lego kits, Polaroid cameras.
—John Warner, chicagotribune.com, 6 June 2018
Gary Oldman, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney have all won Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and countless other prizes and gewgaws in the weeks leading up to the Oscars.
—Glenn Whipp, latimes.com, 20 Feb. 2018
New York Times, 9 July 2021
And how nice to see Cynthia Erivo — to really see the woman and not have her overwhelmed by an elaborate mishmash of ruffles and gewgaws.
—Washington Post, 6 Jan. 2020
Loaded to the gills with all-wheel drive, digital gewgaws and two-tone leather interior, my racy coupe stickered for $62,000 — a healthy $20,000 cheaper than a comparable BMW M4 coupe.
—Tribune News Service, cleveland, 28 Dec. 2019
Giveaways are a universal phenomenon, but Silicon Valley has made free gewgaws and gadgets an integral part of its culture.
—Owen Thomas, SFChronicle.com, 24 July 2019
The nihilistic gewgaw, vacuous and vulgar, instead embodies the mythos that can be manufactured in a crude market-culture that primarily values art as a luxury asset.
—Los Angeles Times, 23 July 2019
Graphics: Your choice of desktop-class RTX 2060, 2070, or 2080
Display: Your choice of four 17.3-inch FHD (1920x1080) displays, with or without touch, with or without gewgaws like Tobii eye-tracking.
—Melissa Riofrio, PCWorld, 8 Jan. 2019
Bookstores should be designed to bring us closer together, not modeled after an open prairie dotted with books and assorted gewgaws — puzzles, Lego kits, Polaroid cameras.
—John Warner, chicagotribune.com, 6 June 2018
Gary Oldman, Frances McDormand, Sam Rockwell and Allison Janney have all won Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and countless other prizes and gewgaws in the weeks leading up to the Oscars.
—Glenn Whipp, latimes.com, 20 Feb. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gewgaw
Noun
-
Take advantage of a warm, sunny day to clean out flowerbeds. February into March is the time to prune roses and summer-blooming ornamentals.—
Barbara Gillette,
The Spruce,
15 Jan. 2026
-
This tree was widely planted as an ornamental for its fall color, as a nectar source for honeybees, and as a source of vegetable tallow used in cosmetics and candles.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
This can manifest in the form of apparel, bedding, kitchen utensils and bumper stickers all the way to collectibles, luxury watches, electronics and seasonal products like ornaments.—
Sarah Whitten,
CNBC,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Spiky black and crystal ornaments were added at one shoulder of the look as well as the opposite hip, creating an asymmetric juxtaposition.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Gold baubles and hardware have been a fixture in Schiaparelli’s surreal denim pieces.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
21 Jan. 2026
-
After the show, when Hebler attempted to return the jewelry, Elvis told him to keep the bauble for good luck.—
Richard Johnson,
New York Daily News,
18 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Taylor then lights a cigarette, sets the tchotchkes aflame, and fury-walks out the door.—
Raechal Shewfelt,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Jan. 2026
-
The sturdy, striking display is the perfect home for your favorite products, candles, and tchotchkes.—
Kristi Kellogg,
Architectural Digest,
15 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Gewgaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gewgaw. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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