gimcrack 1 of 2

Definition of gimcracknext
as in ornamental
a small object displayed for its attractiveness or interest a remarkable amount of money is spent on gimcracks and other unnecessary items each year their apartment has enough gimcracks to fill up a novelty company's warehouse

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 gimcrack
Noun
January is a multiplex clearance sale, littered with horror movies as gimcrack as the unsold toys wheeled out after the holidays. — A.a. Dowd, Chron, 5 Jan. 2023 The movie works hard to be a soulfully offbeat kiddie entertainment, an antidote to the gimcrack cynicism that has ruled too many cartoon-cutup-in-the-land-of-live-action Hollywood products. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 6 Oct. 2022 The inevitable flood tide of gimcrack Biden souvenirs has yet to start in earnest, but there are some. — New York Times, 6 Dec. 2020 So will the border continue to vanish in the face of nativist backlash and a trumpery, gimcrack wall? — Felipe Fernández-Armesto, WSJ, 25 June 2018 Science fiction on the screen had been pinched, gimcrack, borderline laughable. — Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 10 May 2018 The designer Vicki Mortimer has created a set that feels like a gimcrack warehouse, full of old ladders and lights and puppet-stage-like window frames. — Ben Brantley, New York Times, 16 Aug. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for gimcrack
Adjective
  • The question should be how technology can make returning it cheap enough that the government no longer has an excuse.
    — Mark Lewyn, Hartford Courant, 2 Oct. 2026
  • The company on Tuesday introduced an upgrade to its cheaper, mid-tier GPT-6 Sol model.
    — Nicholas Wu, semafor.com, 2 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • Late-Modern architect focuses on a sleek design with minimal ornamentals.
    — Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 18 Sep. 2026
  • While this group of pathogens has an extensive range of hosts, it is often observed on woody ornamentals—viburnum or rhododendron, for example—and trees like dogwood or maple.
    — Emily Leahy, Hartford Courant, 7 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The Chiefs went on to emerge victorious 24-10, but like the offense, the defense’s focus now will be identifying how an inferior team that lost its star player early managed to stay involved until late in the fourth quarter.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 27 Sep. 2026
  • The same can be said for TCU’s offense as well after the past two games against inferior opponents.
    — Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • India’s notable opulence within ornaments comes to life in the jewelry.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 2 Oct. 2026
  • On August 27, thieves made off with almost all of it, leaving behind only a small handful of silver vessels, one bracelet, ornaments, and one of four crowns, thought to have been dropped in their escape.
    — Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • In any case, the nation’s approach toward Europe was not to meddle in its internal affairs but, rather, to avoid another terrible Continental war.
    — Beverly Gage, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Offensive lineman Steve Avila was a member of the 2024 Rams team that turned it around after a terrible start.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Such diagnoses can carry an extraordinarily poor neonatal prognosis.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Road accidents are frequent in Africa’s most populous country, in part due to poor road conditions and lax enforcement of traffic laws.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • But the thing that always stayed the same was that there was something a little rotten in her.
    — CT Jones, Rolling Stone, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Previous Evil pics have been rotten on Rotten Tomatoes with critics.
    — Anthony D'Alessandro, Deadline, 16 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Why is Indonesia experiencing its worst ever wildfire season?
    — TheWeek, TheWeek, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Interior designers and professional organizers say most kitchens hide usable square footage in plain sight, trapped behind clutter, bad habits and bulky gear that could be stored smarter or edited out entirely.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Kansas City Star, 1 Oct. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Gimcrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gimcrack. Accessed 6 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster