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Definitions

gewgaw

[gyoo-gaw, goo-] / ˈgyu gɔ, ˈgu- /
NOUN
trinket
Synonyms
STRONGEST
bauble trifle trinket
STRONG
bagatelle bibelot gaud gimcrack item knickknack memento souvenir toy whatnot
WEAK
conversation piece curio curiosity objet d'art

Frequently Asked Questions

What is another word for gewgaw?
A gewgaw is a useless trinket—a bauble or trifle. More common words that mean the same thing are knickknack and tchotchke. Another similar term is gimcrack. The word bric-a-brac can be used to refer to such items collectively. Gewgaws are usually decorations or ornaments—they typically don’t serve a function other than being something nice to look at. In other words, their purpose is to be displayed (such as on desks, bookshelves, or mantels). Gewgaw and its close synonyms all often imply an object that’s relatively small, inexpensive, and often tacky or gaudy. However, any of these terms might be used to refer to an object regardless of how expensive it was simply to suggest that it’s a mostly useless trinket. Still, some people might use such terms affectionately. Some other terms that refer to small objects displayed for their aesthetic value are generally more positive than gewgaw and its close synonyms. Terms such as curio, curiosity, bibelot, and objet d’art (art object) often imply a sense of tastefulness, artfulness, or quality.
What is another word for gewgaw?
The first records of the word gewgaw come from around 1200. Its ultimate origin is uncertain, but it may derive from French.
How do you pronounce gewgaw?
Gewgaw is pronounced GYOO-gaw or GOO-gaw.
How do you use gewgaw in a sentence?
Gewgaw is an informal word, and it’s often at least mildly negative. It’s much less commonly used than some of its synonyms (like trinket, knickknack, and tchotchke). Here are some examples of gewgaw in a sentence:
  • The house was full of little gewgaws—they were shelves full of them everywhere you looked.
  • I prefer a clean, minimalist style, without a bunch of gewgaws cluttering up the space. 
  • This old brass gewgaw is worth how much?!

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

This apparent stance toward art is at once moronic and apt; moronic because it reduces art to a mere gewgaw, apt because other entrepreneurs have already embraced this view.

From New York Times • Dec. 1, 2021

Gewgaw, a shiny trinket Bon Voyage A trinket or a knickknack, an ornament, a kickshaw, a frippery, a gimcrack, a bibelot, a gewgaw .

From Washington Post • Aug. 12, 2021

The nihilistic gewgaw, vacuous and vulgar, instead embodies the mythos that can be manufactured in a crude market-culture that primarily values art as a luxury asset.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 23, 2019

“Tinctures, tonics, an astrolabe, and a pneumatic gewgaw that recites Scripture.”

From Slate • Jun. 27, 2018

Half the stately interior of that glorious thirteenth century pile is encrusted and overlaid by hideous gewgaw monstrosities of the flashiest Bernini and baroque period.

From Post-Prandial Philosophy by Allen, Grant

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.