kitsch

noun

1
: something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality
2
: a tacky or lowbrow quality or condition
teetering on the brink of kitschRon Miller
kitschy adjective

Did you know?

Kitsch is an early 20th-century borrowing from German, and it refers to things in the realm of popular culture that are tacky, like car mirror dice, plastic flamingos, and dashboard hula dancers.

Examples of kitsch in a Sentence

The restaurant is decorated with 1950s furniture and kitsch from old TV shows.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The structure was drafted by a stage designer before being realized by an architect, a choice that’s reflected in some of its fanciful elements (some of which contemporary architects dismissed as kitsch) like frescoes, Romanesque arches, Gothic delicacy and whiffs of Art Nouveau foreshadowing. Ann Abel, Forbes, 5 Mar. 2025 The ride, which takes young kids and their parents on a short journey through a storybook land and a glowing, fluorescent tunnel, has long been a fun exercise in kitsch (and a welcome respite for parents and grandparents chasing kids around). Sal Pizarro, The Mercury News, 5 Mar. 2025 This was when his baroque aesthetic vision could curdle into kitsch. Ian Buruma, The New Yorker, 6 Jan. 2025 At the same time, its candy colored set and ’80s game show kitsch prevent audiences from ever forgetting about the asininity of the setting. Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 1 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for kitsch

Word History

Etymology

German

First Known Use

1921, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of kitsch was in 1921

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Cite this Entry

“Kitsch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kitsch. Accessed 12 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on kitsch

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