SCHLOCK Synonyms: 74 Similar and Opposite Words

schlock

adjective

ˈshläk

variants or schlocky also shlock or shlocky

Definition of schlock

as in cheap

of low quality a tourist trap selling schlock souvenirs

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 schlock Well, people have always written schlocky or formulaic books. — Katy Waldman, New Yorker, 10 June 2026 Yet despite their cultural staying power, power ballads have historically received little scholarly attention, in part because they are often dismissed as schlocky and banal. — Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 22 May 2026 Deliberately schlocky and over-the-top, the production is a mere backdrop for the psychodrama happening off set between Elle and her costar Dominique (Havana Rose Liu), a girl her own age who’s also unfortunately her stepmother. — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 19 May 2026 Quentin Tarantino’s outrageous revisionist Western is wildly over-the-top, combining the director’s penchant for gratuitous violence and sparkling dialogue with a story that’s pleasingly labyrinthine but nothing if not schlocky. — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026 But that shift is still recent, and decades of cultural baggage — from sexist slasher stereotypes to schlocky late-night programming — continue to shape perception. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026 The film finally returns to Dracula’s castle, where four stone gargoyles come to life, and where there is bad swordplay, schlocky cannon fire, and a fortune-cookie theological lecture from Waltz’s Priest. — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 7 Feb. 2026 In one of the most heartwarming sequences a flashback shows these young film buffs shooting one of their shlocky Big Foot-esque monster movies. — Randy Myers, Mercury News, 24 Dec. 2025 For one thing, it was produced for half a million dollars, resulting a charmingly schlocky and handmade product that greatly appealed to kids hoping to get into the business one day. — Josh Weiss, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for schlock

Adjective

But the breaking point came when his wife refused to let their young children near any of his half-century-old vehicles, which lacked air bags and the safety features standard in even the cheapest modern cars.

— Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
As launch gets cheaper and hardware more standardized, companies can reach into space without having to master or even own the hardware.

— Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

To sit still now would send a terrible message to a clubhouse full of pros, all of whom know the score.

— Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 14 July 2026
Spieth decided the ball sitting on a steep slope and potentially on a terrible lie wasn’t playable.

— Brody Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026

Definition of terrible

Adjective

Prolonged exposure to heat can lead to insufficient or poor sleep, compromising the immune system, increasing the risk for cardiovascular disease and diminishing cognitive performance.

— Adriana Pérez, Chicago Tribune, 13 July 2026
On top of this, subterranean drip systems often clog with mineral deposits, sediment, and algae, which Nad warns may eventually require repairs or replacement of portions of the system, particularly in areas with hard water or poor filtration.

— Kamron Sanders, The Spruce, 13 July 2026

Definition of poor

Adjective

Blooms last just 24 to 48 hours, with the plant releasing a stench likened to rotten eggs, gym socks and decaying flesh.

— Emily Tarinelli, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
However, the various hosts of these parasites can live in a variety of places, such as in figs, leaves or even deep in rotten wood.

— Philip Anderson, The Conversation, 8 July 2026

Definition of rotten

Adjective

Despite concerns that California’s costs and regulations are bad for business, the state has attracted an unprecedented pile of capital this year, and no other state is even close.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
The Giants are now 39-54 this season, two games up on Colorado (38-57) for the worst record in the NL and second-worst in MLB.

— Christian Babcock, Mercury News, 10 July 2026

Definition of bad

Browse Nearby Words

schlemiels

schlock

schlub

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“Schlock.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/schlock. Accessed 16 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of schlock

adjective

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