Kitsch

adj, noun

adj, noun ·1 syllable ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    Art, decorative objects, and other forms of representation of questionable artistic or aesthetic value; a representation that is excessively sentimental, overdone, or vulgar. uncountable, usually

    "Because it can be turned out mechanically, kitsch has become an integral part of our productive system in a way in which true culture could never be, except accidentally."

  2. 2
    excessively garish or sentimental art; usually considered in bad taste wordnet
Adjective
  1. 1
    Of art and decor: of questionable aesthetic value; excessively sentimental, overdone or vulgar.

    "[…] a picture of lemur-eyed children of the sort one sees in the kitscher sort of Italian restaurant […]"

Synonyms

All synonyms
campancient literatureart objectart workbabbittrybad taste

Example

More examples

"Sal's Tomfoolery Shop has antiques, weird items, and kitsch."

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.

Related phrases

Holo-kitsch

More for "kitsch"

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.