frippery
noun
frip·pery
ˈfri-p(ə-)rē 
plural fripperies
1
obsolete
a
: cast-off clothes
b
archaic
: a place where old clothes are sold
2
a
: finery
also
: an elegant or showy garment
b
: something showy, frivolous, or nonessential
c
: ostentation
especially
: something foolish or affectedly elegant
Examples of frippery in a Sentence
The design is simple and devoid of needless frippery.
dressed in their most elegant frippery for the big gala at the symphony
Recent Examples on the Web
None of the 95 rooms at this palatial property, which first opened in the 1860s, is the same, and the decor is an eccentric mishmash that combines every era since then, from Victorian fripperies to sinuously streamlined Art Nouveau.
—
Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 28 July 2025
In tonight’s episode, Aurora has more to worry about than mere frippery.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 June 2025
Buying the Original marks you as a practical person who cares not for frippery.
—Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 19 Apr. 2025
But who has time for all of that frippery, anyway, when war’s a-comin’?
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for frippery
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Laura Dannen Redman, Robb Report, 28 July 2025
In tonight’s episode, Aurora has more to worry about than mere frippery.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 30 June 2025
Buying the Original marks you as a practical person who cares not for frippery.
—Matthew Korfhage, Wired News, 19 Apr. 2025
But who has time for all of that frippery, anyway, when war’s a-comin’?
—Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 20 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for frippery
Cite this Entry
“Frippery.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/frippery. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
frippery
noun
frip·pery
ˈfrip-(ə-)rē
plural fripperies
1
: showy or elegant clothing
2
: something that is not necessary, not serious, or not important
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