kitsch

(kĭch)

Pieces of art or other objects that appeal to popular or uncultivated taste, as in being garish or overly sentimental.

[German Kitsch (originally used of kitschy painting ), perhaps from kitschen, to sweep or rake up street mud, or from German dialectal kitschen, to sell off cheaply.]

kitsch′i·fy′ v.

kitsch′y adj.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Adj.

kitschy - effusively or insincerely emotional; "a bathetic novel"; "maudlin expressions of sympathy"; "mushy effusiveness"; "a schmaltzy song"; "sentimental soap operas"; "slushy poetry"

hokey, maudlin, mawkish, schmaltzy, schmalzy, bathetic, sentimental, slushy, soppy, soupy, mushy, drippy

emotional - of more than usual emotion; "his behavior was highly emotional"

Translations

kitschig

kitsch

קיטשי

giccses

kitschy

adj (+er) → kitschig

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

Mentioned in

References in periodicals archive

Chicago Cultural Historian Tim Samuelson, author of the book "But Wait, There's More," presents the world of kitschy products.

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A career pilot, he spends ample time waiting for crew members at hotels--and finds his eyes readily drawn to the loud, kitschy patterns of the fabric covering the floors.

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It's about as subtle as that exclamation point suggests, with every character named Schmegegge or Schmednrik and every kitschy Jewish reference tossed in for good measure.

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Drawing upon his years of experience and expertise, Charles' "Addicted to Americana: Celebrating Classic & Kitschy American Life & Style" is a riotously colorful book, replete with images drawn from collection of vintage Kodachrome slides, and is a celebration his lifelong quest to unearth the best of classic and kitschy American life and style.

Addicted to Americana

The world-building exists mainly to hold up the plot, occasionally clever but more often kitschy. A true weak point is the fight scenes, chiefly Delaney's amazing facility with combat and the incompetence of nearly all the bad guys.

Feener, Chani Lynn. Amid Stars and Darkness: The Xenith Trilogy, Book 1

Summary: New Delhi [India], July 7 (ANI-NewsVoir): With its urban, kitschy interiors Mumbai's newest bar and lounge, KUBE, has a lot going for it.

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This collection - that we simply called "Voyage" - has been conceived from the idea of being a tourist who is travelling the world and collecting precious kitschy souvenirs from each city.

The Directory: Maison Kitsune says je t'aime Mr Porter

Tallac (right); and a sweetly kitschy souvenir teacup.

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The Kitschy: The old adage 'Garbage In, Garbage Out' is something we need to keep in mind, especially in these days of information overload.

The Good, The Bad, The Kitschy:

DVD PS29.99/Blu-ray PS34.99 WolfCop 15 LEO Fafard plays Lou Garou, an unconventional lawmaker who transforms into a crazed werewolf by night in this kitschy comedy.

DVDs

The Chinese manufacturers of kitschy ornaments will surely agree that this is the case but they would.

Right Royal debate AS our [...]; LETTERS