knickknack

noun

knick·​knack ˈnik-ˌnak 

variants or less commonly nicknack

plural knickknacks also nicknacks

: a small trivial article usually intended for ornament

a collection of colorful knickknacks

Known in the computer industry as tchotchkes, which is Yiddish for cheap trinkets, the knickknacks distributed in the past year have included "Love Me Tender" toilet-roll dispensers, wax eyeballs, chocolate computers and Nerf-ball launchers.

—Jim Carlton

Melissa Etheridge's spacious two-story home outside Los Angeles is filled with knickknacks from her life: Aside from awards and photos, there is a small collection of vintage neon clocks … and a Thelma & Louise poster signed by the cast (including a then-unknown Brad Pitt).

—Lynette Rice

Synonyms

• bauble
• bibelot
• curio
• curiosity
• doodad
• gaud
• gewgaw
• geegaw
• gimcrack
• kickshaw
• novelty
• ornamental
• tchotchke
• trinket

Examples of knickknack in a Sentence

The shelves were filled with knickknacks.

a variety of pretty porcelain knickknacks adorned the mantel

Recent Examples on the Web

The wooden East African-style doors, Persian rugs, ornate Moroccan vases, bright artworks, and various knickknacks add to the camp’s colorful maximalist vibe. —Heather Richardson, Travel + Leisure, 18 May 2025

On a rainy March morning in Studio City, Los Angeles, Kaitlyn Dever and I meet up to paint ceramic knickknacks. —Katie Heaney, Vulture, 23 Apr. 2025

Don’t fill your space with knickknacks from a one-stop shopping spree. —Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 9 May 2025

It’s filled with racks of clothes, art and dinosaur knickknacks. —Lia Picard, New York Times, 3 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

reduplication of knack

First Known Use

1682, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for knickknack

• aback
• anzac
• attack
• backpack
• backtrack
• bareback
• blackjack
• brownback
• buyback
• callback
• cognac
• comeback

Kids Definition

knickknack

noun

knick·​knack ˈnik-ˌnak 

: a small ornamental object