Gewgaw

Pronunciation: /ˈɡuˌɡɔ/

Definitions of gewgaw

noun a showy trinket or bauble; a small, worthless ornament or knickknack

Example Sentences

A1 She bought a shiny gewgaw at the souvenir shop.

A2 The children were fascinated by the colorful gewgaws hanging in the window.

B1 The antique store was full of interesting gewgaws and trinkets.

B2 The artist used gewgaws and baubles to create a unique sculpture.

C1 The wealthy socialite's mansion was filled with expensive gewgaws and ornaments.

C2 The collector's prized possession was a rare gewgaw from the 18th century.

Examples of gewgaw in a Sentence

formal The antique shop was filled with various gewgaws and trinkets from different eras.

informal I bought a little gewgaw for my desk at work, just to add some personality.

slang She's always wearing so many gewgaws, it's like she's a walking jewelry store.

figurative His flashy car was just a gewgaw to distract from his lack of substance.

Grammatical Forms of gewgaw

• past tense: gewgawed
• plural: gewgaws
• comparative: more gewgaw
• superlative: most gewgaw
• present tense: gewgaws
• future tense: will gewgaw
• perfect tense: have gewgawed
• continuous tense: is gewgawing
• singular: gewgaw
• positive degree: gewgaw
• infinitive: to gewgaw
• gerund: gewgawing
• participle: gewgawed

Origin and Evolution of gewgaw

First Known Use: 0015 year

Language of Origin: Middle English and Old French

Story behind the word: The word 'gewgaw' originated from the Middle English word 'giuegaude' which came from the Old French word 'guiegau'

Evolution of the word: Originally used to refer to a showy ornament or trinket, the meaning of 'gewgaw' has evolved over time to also describe something gaudy or of little value.