as in cheese
something that is of low quality but that many people find amusing and enjoyable
The restaurant is decorated with 1950s furniture and kitsch from old TV shows.
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as in kitschy
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kitsch
H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
Nostalgic or Retro Motifs At its core, kitsch draws on mid-20th-century vintage and retro aesthetics.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Jan. 2026
Part restaurant, part gift shop, and all kitsch, the Big Texan Steak Ranch opened on Route 66 in 1960.
—Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
Nothing takes care of weeds and yard kitsch like the threat of execution.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kitsch
Noun
The Italian experimental duo creates a sprawling, overstimulating work that celebrates the kitsch lurking behind a wide array of musical forms.
—H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 7 Jan. 2026
Nostalgic or Retro Motifs At its core, kitsch draws on mid-20th-century vintage and retro aesthetics.
—Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Jan. 2026
Part restaurant, part gift shop, and all kitsch, the Big Texan Steak Ranch opened on Route 66 in 1960.
—Pam Leblanc, Southern Living, 3 Jan. 2026
Nothing takes care of weeds and yard kitsch like the threat of execution.
—Krista Kafer, Denver Post, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kitsch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kitsch
Noun
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For this meal plan, cheese is featured in the omelet at breakfast, in the salad for lunch and paired with grapes for snack.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Just download the app and join My Rewards to get the free burger — topped with egg, bacon, cheese, Hash Rounds and ketchup — at participating locations (no purchase necessary).—
Mike Snider,
AZCentral.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Remarkably, a house that might have descended into kitschy pastiche never does.—
Mark Lamster
Architecture Critic,
Dallas Morning News,
10 Feb. 2026
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Deadwood has so much kitschy history to love.—
Angela George,
Sioux Falls Argus Leader,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Other ideas include thrift store shopping, country line dancing, roller skating, karaoke, junk journaling, and getting manicures and pedicures.—
Alicia Rancilio,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
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In uncertain markets, some investors like junk silver because the coins are widely trusted, easy to authenticate and often easy to sell in small increments.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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His designs could make women and men look garish, in their unorthodox but cheesy materials (crystal mesh, latex, S&M buckles).—
Rachel Tashjian,
CNN Money,
5 Feb. 2026
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It was known that her mother sewed her sequin-heavy competition dresses, and the outfits were viewed as garish, especially when compared to Kerrigan’s understated ensembles—designed by Vera Wang, no less.—
Natasha O'Neill,
Vanity Fair,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Piles of human scraps offer a bottomless buffet to wildlife, and to access that bounty, animals need to be bold enough to rummage through human rubbish but not so bold as to become a threat to people.—
Marina Wang,
Scientific American,
14 Nov. 2025
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Helga once wrestled down a drunk fisherman in the Café, a man of above-average size, and then threw him out like a piece of rubbish; Jens thus transfers most of his weight automatically to her; who is this kid, by the way?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Darnold’s stats weren’t gaudy, but his steady, mistake-free performance was what the Seahawks needed on a night Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III totaled 161 scrimmage yards and Seattle’s defense dominated.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2026
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Some are diamond-studded and gaudy.—
Chris Morris,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Fox News Digital took photos of the nearby camps — which contain piles of junk, such as clothes, open containers, boxes, bags and trash.—
Michael Ruiz , Adriana James-Rodil,
FOXNews.com,
13 Feb. 2026
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Get rid of trash now, Alaniz urged, to reduce the amount that needs to be moved later.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Jones envisioned the show as more light-hearted than those of her competitors, weaving comedy skits and bawdy humor in with the tawdry affairs of her guests.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
29 Jan. 2026
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Mad Men’s Sally Draper, and Stranger Things’ Charlie Heaton—for a tawdry, deceptive, disastrous hookup.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
19 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kitsch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kitsch. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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