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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This means some fans will be watching Messi for as little as $4, which is a far cry from the cheapest seats being cast at $349 when the draw was made in December.—
Adam Crafton,
New York Times,
14 June 2025
-
The funding was meant to put the US in a position to compete with Chinese automakers, who have developed cheap and effective EVs that have piqued interest among car buyers around the world.—
Aarian Marshall,
Wired News,
13 June 2025
Noun
-
Today, crabapple trees—tough ornamentals native to the Central Asian mountains—blanket Detroit.—
Sarah Durn,
Popular Science,
5 June 2025
-
Many deciduous ornamentals including redbuds, forsythia, crabapples, fruit trees, quince azaleas and many others were not adversely affected by last summer’s drought and the cold, windy winter and frozen soils that followed.—
Pamm Cooper,
Hartford Courant,
10 May 2025
Adjective
-
If college sports morph into inferior versions of the NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB and other major pro leagues, college teams run the risk of resembling minor league squads that would generate much less revenue.—
Michael McCann,
Sportico.com,
8 June 2025
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While North Korea's naval forces are widely seen as far inferior to those of its rivals, analysts say a destroyer equipped with modern missile and radar systems could still boost the North's offensive and defensive capabilities.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
7 June 2025
Adjective
-
And these are the same Oilers who, after a terrible 6-1 loss in Game 3 to the Panthers, overcame a three-goal deficit in Game 4 to even the series.—
Daniel Nugent-Bowman,
New York Times,
15 June 2025
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Outside of getting to play a grand slam event in his backyard, Thomas has been downright terrible in the sport's four biggest tournaments.—
Gerrit Ritt,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 June 2025
Adjective
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The risk extends even to children due to increasing rates of childhood obesity and poor dietary habits.20 As a result, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that healthy adults have their lipids checked every four to six years.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
5 June 2025
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Most cited poor digital offerings or a lack of services and products.—
Robert Frank,
CNBC,
5 June 2025
Adjective
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On scorching days when winds blow across the California desert, the Salton Sea regularly gives off a stench of decay resembling rotten eggs.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
10 June 2025
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Not only was President Joe Biden in serious decline, Karine Jean-Pierre — celebrated in numerous fawning media profiles — was a rotten White House press secretary.—
Rich Lowry,
National Review,
6 June 2025
Adjective
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For more stubborn stains, use a coarse sponge or toothbrush to penetrate the fabric deeper.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
31 May 2025
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Basil salt Finely grind a few dehydrated basil leaves and combine with your favorite coarse salt.—
Claudia Alarcón,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Trump has lauded Israel's strikes and previously warned of much worse to come unless Iran quickly accepts the sharp downgrading of its nuclear program the U.S. has demanded in talks that had been due to resume on June 15.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
USA Today,
16 June 2025
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That backlash was so bad that Raven stepped in to defend her wife.—
Mya Abraham,
VIBE.com,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Gimcrack.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gimcrack. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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