as in cheese
something that is of low quality but that many people find amusing and enjoyable
The restaurant is decorated with 1950s furniture and kitsch from old TV shows.
Related Words
Relevance
as in kitschy
Related Words
Dissimilar 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 kitsch
Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The lyrical image of a surfer guy ogling a surfer girl is plainly kitsch, but it’s rendered with the seriousness and sadness inherent in really wanting something.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
The North Hollywood house, which songwriter Allee Willis first purchased in 1980 and turned into a living ode to all things kitsch, is awash in trinkets and tchotchkes.
—Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
More often, everyone involved is invested in keeping the fantasy of fluff and kitsch afloat while obscuring the opportunity for any legitimately frictive interaction; viewers are left to fill in the gaps on their own.
—Aisha Harris, NPR, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for kitsch
Adjective
Tonya Hawkes designs stand in noble contrast to current trends in hectic kitsch adornment including jewels containing shouty, sentimentally overblown messages and imagery.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The lyrical image of a surfer guy ogling a surfer girl is plainly kitsch, but it’s rendered with the seriousness and sadness inherent in really wanting something.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
The North Hollywood house, which songwriter Allee Willis first purchased in 1980 and turned into a living ode to all things kitsch, is awash in trinkets and tchotchkes.
—Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 9 June 2025
More often, everyone involved is invested in keeping the fantasy of fluff and kitsch afloat while obscuring the opportunity for any legitimately frictive interaction; viewers are left to fill in the gaps on their own.
—Aisha Harris, NPR, 13 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for kitsch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kitsch
Noun
-
Frankie’s Fabulous menu also includes shareable apps, like zucchini chips and fried calamari, plus salads, including the signature house salad mixing romaine with tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, artichokes, kalamata olives, and provolone cheese.—
Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
-
The new pizza's base is inspired by the chain's garlic bread, with a garlic-Parmesan crust and topped with Parmesan, Romano, Asiago, Fontina, and Provolone cheeses.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Very quickly, Gilman became a matchmaker of necessities, contacting people in construction, plumbing, junk removal and more.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
After that, Seattle sent the ordinance to the junk yard.—
The Editorial Board,
Oc Register,
7 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Even in a story taking place in a hot climate, a garish quantity of sweat Grisham Score: 9 3.—
Linda Holmes,
NPR,
15 Aug. 2025
-
But never fear, costumer Natalie O’Brien later puts Curtis into a garish pink ruched dress that almost makes the previous outfit forgivable.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
5 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
The new law also applies to vehicles used to transport garbage, rubbish, trash or debris.—
Mary Murphy,
Twin Cities,
30 July 2025
-
When the house was done being used, ancient people cut a hole through the floor and dug the pit, then filled it with domestic rubbish.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
The panel depicts two moments in the life of St. Denis—his final communion in prison and his martyrdom by beheading—unfolding underneath a gaudy crucifixion beaming with seraphim.—
Jon Raymond
August 5,
Literary Hub,
5 Aug. 2025
-
Much of the drama of the long regular season was figuring out how Towns would fit next to Brunson as the statement diamond in a seemingly gaudy ring whose outer setting included the accents Josh Hart, O. G. Anunoby, and—another newcomer—Mikal Bridges.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
2 June 2025
Noun
-
The property was littered with garbage during visits this week, with food waste piled around trash bins rotting in the heat.—
Michael Cuglietta,
The Orlando Sentinel,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Help came in the form of a shy, 15-year-old named Justin Vannelli who, on the third day of her entombment, was picking up trash along the interstate.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
15 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Some of the settings are extremely well chosen and designed, particularly the tawdry Taco Hut law offices (in contrast to the chic modernity of the Tinsley Britt workplace) and a dingy seaside diner where people keep having meetings.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Instead, the aspiring influencer and her royal husband are being dragged into the latest tawdry, scandalous mess involving Harry’s dissolute uncle, Prince Andrew, thanks to a new new biography about the disgraced Duke of York.—
Martha Ross,
Mercury News,
4 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
McGlinchey said the run game has been a focal point all of camp.—
Vic Tafur,
New York Times,
8 Aug. 2025
-
But that’s what’s noteworthy —remarkable, even — about the kind of training camp he’s had.—
Sam McDowell
August 7,
Kansas City Star,
7 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kitsch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kitsch. Accessed 21 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share