as in cheap
of low quality
a store plastered with "going out of business" signs and notorious for selling gimcrack merchandise
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
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Recent Examples of gimcrack
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
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
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Their tech lets clothing companies show off a wide variety of sizes and styles—and for a whole lot cheaper.—
Alexandra York,
Forbes.com,
15 Apr. 2025
-
In Flacco and Pickett, the Browns have two veteran backups on cheap contracts signed only for 2025.—
Zac Jackson,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Companion plants for ornamentals such as hydrangeas are selected for aesthetic purposes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 Apr. 2025
-
Multipurpose nasturtiums can be grown for their edible flowers and leaves, or enjoyed as pollinator-friendly ornamentals.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
12 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Science popularization should not be considered as inferior to or detracting from traditional scientific research.—
Marshall Shepherd,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
-
The only asterisk is that their recent wins have mostly come against inferior opponents – Washington’s record is only 3-4-1 against teams in a playoff spot since the 4 Nations Face-Off. 4.—
James Mirtle,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Skinner had a terrible time of it for much of the season.—
Allan Mitchell,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
What is disconcerting is when campaign donors and friends & family have commuted sentences after they have been legally convicted of terrible financial crimes.—
Sanjeev Menon,
Forbes.com,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Some parents worry that Alexa's high tolerance for rudeness instills poor behavior in their kids, according to Quartz.—
Emily Forlini,
PC Magazine,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Then someone pointed a finger at a surprising culprit: the soldiers’ poor health.—
Maxim Sytch,
Harvard Business Review,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Then, the rotten cherry on top: my lightweight pack, overburdened with water and ill-equipped for the task, created a patch of chafe that eventually bloomed into an open wound.—
Shawnté Salabert,
Outside Online,
28 Mar. 2025
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What rotten fortune all around, the best college player in the country – and the coolest – being ousted not by an upset but by injury.—
Mirjam Swanson,
Oc Register,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
Hen of the Woods Sandwich from Dad’s Luncheonette 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 1 tablespoon fennel seeds 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt DIRECTIONS: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.—
Kate Bradshaw,
The Mercury News,
24 Feb. 2025
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TikTok clued us into the power of shaving your body—mainly your she-shrubbery—using what is technically a beard trimmer, because it's designed explicitly to motor through coarse hair.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
27 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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That means more time for Rojas, who has shown more bad than good to begin this season.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
18 Apr. 2025
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Thankfully, the kittens were discovered and rescued right in time before something worse fell on them.—
TJ Macias,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gimcrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gimcrack. Accessed 21 Apr. 2025.
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