kitsch

Meaning

Noun

Art, decorative objects, and other forms of representation of questionable artistic or aesthetic value; a representation that is excessively sentimental, overdone, or vulgar.

Adj

Of art and decor: of questionable aesthetic value; excessively sentimental, overdone or vulgar.

Synonyms

bravura

all hat and no cattle

gimcrack

gimcrackery

nicknack

ostentatious

posey

pretentious

splashy

tinhorn

tinsel

wanky

pseudo-sophisticated

pseudy

a la

all bark and no bite

Translations

Kitsch

kitsch

kitsch

kitsch

kitsch

kitch

gonfiante

prahlerisch

pretensiós

kitschig

طنان

kitsch

κιτς

Pronounced as (IPA)

/kɪt͡ʃ/

Etymology

From German Kitsch, from dialectal kitschen (“to coat, to smear”); the word and concept were popularized in the 1930s by several critics who contrasted it with avant garde art.