Ron Miller
Did you know?
Have you ever browsed through a flea market or thrift shop? If so, chances are you’re well-acquainted with kitsch, the various bits and bobs of popular culture—fuzzy dice, plastic flamingos, cartoon-themed plastic lunchboxes, etc.—that enjoy widespread popularity but don’t hold much cultural esteem. Or maybe you’re a fan of (what some might call) cheesy movies—action movies and rom-coms that score big at the box office but are panned by critics—kitsch often applies to them, too, as well as to “lowbrow” art of all kinds. English users borrowed kitsch in the early 20th century from German; according to scholars the word was popularized by Munich painters and art dealers in the 1860s and 1870s who used it to refer to popular and cheap artwork. The word’s earlier origins are found in the German verb kitschen, meaning “to slap something (such as a work of art) together” as well as “to scrape up mud from the street.” Despite these muddy origins and the disapproving tone with which kitsch is often deployed, kitsch is not quite the “dirty” word it once was—kitsch today is as likely to be celebrated as it is to be derided.
Examples of kitsch in a Sentence
Michael J. West The Washington Post, Arkansas Online, 26 July 2025
Also warranting a mention is the decor that nods to diner culture without ever careening into kitsch or parody.
—Brock Keeling, Oc Register, 17 July 2025
Tonya Hawkes designs stand in noble contrast to current trends in hectic kitsch adornment including jewels containing shouty, sentimentally overblown messages and imagery.
—Kyle Roderick, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
The lyrical image of a surfer guy ogling a surfer girl is plainly kitsch, but it’s rendered with the seriousness and sadness inherent in really wanting something.
—Spencer Kornhaber, The Atlantic, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for kitsch
Cite this Entry
“Kitsch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kitsch. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy Citation
Share