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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With police turning a blind eye, Portland became a honeypot for local and out-of-state addicts to score cheap dope and use it freely.—
Jason Motlagh,
Rolling Stone,
27 Apr. 2025
-
Some cheaper tags don’t have a replaceable battery although some have rechargeable cells.—
Mark Sparrow,
Forbes.com,
27 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
-
His radically inferior Black Panther sequel was rewritten in a scramble following the death of star Chadwick Boseman, and its very existence can be seen both as a testament to corporate inertia and a big, forgivable asterisk on an otherwise stellar CV.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
22 Apr. 2025
-
The items included bulletproof vests and uniforms that had been reversed-engineered and reproduced with inferior material, customs officials said.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Public interest in the film intensified after a stroke of terrible happenstance.—
Jelani Cobb,
New Yorker,
28 Apr. 2025
-
United have fallen massively and it’s been a terrible watch all season, bar a couple of highs.—
Andy Mitten,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
But nothing has come to fruition yet because Robert's poor play has tanked his trade value.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Apr. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
Gunsmoke that smells of rotten eggs wafts over the field.—
Melanie Stetson Freeman,
Christian Science Monitor,
17 Apr. 2025
-
These can cause your poop to smell like rotten eggs.12 Food intolerances, like lactose intolerance or gluten sensitivity can also cause smelly poop.—
Kirstyn Hill, PharmD, MPH,
Health,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
For thick, coarse, or extra dry hair requiring more replenishment, apply after conditioner.—
Conçetta Ciarlo,
Vogue,
18 Apr. 2025
-
Cornmeal: Blue cornmeal can be used to make cornbread, cakes, and all sorts of goods that require coarse, medium, or fine meal.—
Catherine Jessee,
Southern Living,
15 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 2 May. 2025.
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