newfangled

adjective

new·​fan·​gled ˈnü-ˈfaŋ-gəld 

1

: attracted to novelty

2

: of the newest style or kind

had many newfangled gadgets in the kitchen

newfangledness noun

Did you know?

Newfangled is actually a pretty old word: it dates all the way back to the 15th century, having developed from the even older adjective newfangle. In its earliest documented uses, newfangled described a person who was fond of new fashions, ideas, etc. In current usage, the word typically—and often deprecatingly—describes anything that is new, hip, hot, or happening, such as cutting-edge technology or popular slang. Other times it is used with irony for something, such as rock music, that might have been new at one time but is hardly new anymore.

Synonyms

• contemporary
• current
• designer
• hot
• mod
• modern
• modernistic
• new
• new age
• new-fashioned
• present-day
• red-hot
• space-age
• state-of-the-art
• ultramodern
• up-to-date
• up-to-the-minute

Examples of newfangled in a Sentence

His grandson owns all of the latest newfangled electronics.

the newfangled speech used by teenagers

Recent Examples on the Web

The newfangled tiny church of the holy recycler that sets up shop in a strip mall in Cambridge is the same — in the eyes of the law — as the behemoth religions of Judaism, and Christianity. —Wendy Murphy, Boston Herald, 6 Jan. 2025

The device was unlike anything that had come before, and showed us a novel vision of how these newfangled AI agents would fit into our lives. —Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 27 Dec. 2024

Sometimes newfangled technology seems to enter into the nature of the writing itself. —Benjamin Kunkel, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024

Keep reading to learn about some of the best restaurants in Honolulu. Izakaya 855-Aloha There are many things to adore about Izakaya 855-Aloha, Honolulu’s newest Japanese izakaya with a newfangled Hawaiian twist. —Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from newefangel, from new + Old English *-fangol, from fōn (past participle fangen) to take, seize — more at pact

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

newfangled

adjective

new·​fan·​gled ˈn(y)ü-ˈfaŋ-gəld 

: of the newest style : novel

newfangled ideas

a newfangled contraption