as in cheap
of low quality
a store plastered with "going out of business" signs and notorious for selling gimcrack merchandise
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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
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 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
-
James said Costco is more interested in providing a good value to its customers than a cheap price.—
Nicolas Vega,
CNBC,
26 Feb. 2025
-
More upside than any of the legacy guys, cheaper, and far less drama than most of them.—
Mike DeFabo,
The Athletic,
26 Feb. 2025
Noun
-
Otherwise, use of a fungicide labeled for rust control on ornamentals would be helpful.—
Tom MacCubbin,
Orlando Sentinel,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Plant a productive space that attracts bees, butterflies, and other pollinators and includes edible plants as well as ornamentals.—
Leanne Potts,
Better Homes & Gardens,
13 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
Other early innovations, such as fish sticks, were created not to delight the palate but to sell food that many people considered inferior.—
Meghan McCarron,
The Atlantic,
18 Feb. 2025
-
John Magaro is terrific as Jarrett, a once-in-a-generation talent who was sleep-deprived, suffering from acute back pain and disdainful of the inferior instrument on which he was expected to perform.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
16 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
There have been plenty of terrible Oscar hosts over the years but this was a car crash that could easily have been avoided.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
15 Feb. 2025
-
Secrets bob to the surface like drowning victims from the deep until nobody — not even the reader — can easily separate the terrible truth from even more terrible fictions.—
M.L. Rio,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
This initiative helped avert potential global famines and boosted incomes for poor farmers, particularly in Asia.—
A.J. Russo,
Baltimore Sun,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Cosgrove, a rookie revelation in 2023, is looking to bounce back after a poor 2024 season.—
Dennis Lin,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The unhinged reaction is proof the culture of the federal government workforce is rotten and needs dramatic transformation, not incremental change.—
Mark Joseph,
Newsweek,
23 Feb. 2025
-
Still, power is power and the Albany Dems were getting ready to pass the rotten bill.—
New York Daily News Editorial Board,
New York Daily News,
12 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
In their coarse granular form, they can be used as bathing salts.3 Risks and Considerations Gourmet table salts are less refined, providing beneficial minerals.—
Lauren O'Connor, MS,
Health,
18 Feb. 2025
-
Kosher salt is pure sodium chloride, more coarse, offers a clean flavor, and offers a less concentrated salt flavor per spoonful.—
Karla Walsh,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
The weather was bad enough that MassDOT dropped the speed limit on the pike and forbid tandem trucks from the road.—
Matthew Medsger,
Boston Herald,
17 Feb. 2025
-
Hudl clips are cut from the previous training session, with three good things and three bad things presented.—
Braidon Nourse,
The Denver Post,
16 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gimcrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gimcrack. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share