Tinsel consists of small strips of shiny paper attached to long pieces of thread. People use tinsel as a decoration at Christmas.
More Synonyms of tinsel
tinsel in British English
(ˈtɪnsəl)
noun
1.
a decoration consisting of a piece of string with thin strips of metal foil attached along its length
2.
a yarn or fabric interwoven with strands of glittering thread
3.
anything cheap, showy, and gaudy
verbWord forms: -sels, -selling, -selledWord forms: US-sels, -seling or -seled(transitive)
4.
to decorate with or as if with tinsel
snow tinsels the trees
5.
to give a gaudy appearance to
adjective
6.
made of or decorated with tinsel
7.
showily but cheaply attractive; gaudy
Derived forms
tinsel-like (ˈtinsel-ˌlike)
adjective
tinselly (ˈtinselly)
adjective
Word origin
C16: from Old French estincele a spark, from Latin scintilla; compare stencil
tinsel in American English
(ˈtɪnsəl)
noun
1. Obsolete
a cloth of silk, wool, etc. interwoven with glittering threads of gold, silver, or other metal
2.
thin sheets, strips, or threads of tin, metal foil, etc., used for inexpensive decoration
3.
something that glitters like precious metal but has little worth; empty show; sham splendor
adjective
4.
made of or decorated with tinsel
5.
having sham splendor; showy; gaudy; tawdry
verb transitiveWord forms: ˈtinseled or ˈtinselled, ˈtinseling or ˈtinselling
6.
to make glitter with or as with tinsel
7.
to give a false appearance of splendor to
Derived forms
tinselly (ˈtinselly)
adjective
Word origin
aphetic < MFr estincelle, a spark, spangle: see stencil
Image of
tinsel
Shutterstock
Examples of 'tinsel' in a sentence
tinsel
The unnamed member of staff slipped as they took down tinsel and baubles from the ceiling of a classroom last year.
The Sun (2015)
There is always a towering pine tree dripping with mismatched baubles, tinsel and lights.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In our lounge there won't be any tinsel and turkey has always been off the menu.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
No tinsel, baubles or silly hats.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
It's amazing how it can be transformed with red baubles and tinsel.
The Sun (2014)
It's in all its glory and ready to go back indoors for the tinsel and twinkling lights.
The Sun (2009)
A farce with all the sophistication of cheap tinsel ensues.
The Sun (2009)
Twist the string of lights and the tinsel loosely together, securing the end with a piece of sticky tape.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
TOO early for tinsel and baubles?
The Sun (2011)
They need to be seen lightly dusted with snow on the side of a mountain, or covered in tinsel and flashing lights.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The atmosphere is decidedly creepy as the increasingly inventive deaths take place against a backdrop of innocent carols, glittering tinsel and good cheer.
The Sun (2010)
I've put gold and silver tinsel around pictures of them.
The Sun (2011)
Set in 1927, this beautiful arty film is a nice antidote to tinsel and turkey.
The Sun (2011)
A bright thread of tinsel like this, so difficult to see from the road, must glint and beckon from the air.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
In other languages
tinsel
British English: tinsel /ˈtɪnsəl/ NOUN
Tinsel consists of small strips of shiny paper attached to long pieces of thread. People use tinsel as a decoration.
American English: tinsel
Arabic: بَهْرَجَان
Brazilian Portuguese: enfeite de ouropel
Chinese: 金属箔
Croatian: ’srebro’ za bor
Czech: zlatý nebo stříbrný řetěz dekorace
Danish: flitterstads
Dutch: kerstboomversiersel
European Spanish: cintilla de colores
Finnish: joulukuusen koristenauha
French: guirlande
German: Lametta
Greek: ταινία από αλουμινόχαρτο
Italian: orpello
Japanese: ティンセル
Korean: 장식용 금속 조각
Norwegian: glitter
Polish: błyskotka
European Portuguese: ouropel
Romanian: beteală
Russian: мишура
Latin American Spanish: cinta de colores
Swedish: glitter
Thai: สิ่งประดับแวววาว
Turkish: gelin teli
Ukrainian: мішура
Vietnamese: dây kim tuyến
Chinese translation of 'tinsel'
tinsel
(ˈtɪnsl)
n(u)
闪(閃)亮的金属(屬)装(裝)饰(飾) (shǎnliàng de jīnshǔ zhuāngshì)
(adjective)
Definition
cheap, showy, and gaudy
the tinsel image of a movie star
Synonyms
showy
They were smart but not showy.
flashy
a flashy sports car
gaudy
a gaudy orange-and-purple hat
cheap
Don't resort to cheap copies; save up for the real thing.
plastic (slang)
So much modern pop music just sounds plastic.
superficial
sham
tawdry
tawdry jewellery
ostentatious
the ostentatious lifestyle of the super-rich
trashy
I was watching some trashy TV show.
specious
gimcrack
a gift shop selling gimcrack badges, keyrings and bottle openers
meretricious
vulgar, meretricious and shabby souvenirs
pinchbeck
brummagem
Seetawdry
Nearby words of
tinsel
tinkle
tinny
tinpot
tinsel
tint
tiny
tip
Synonyms of 'tinsel'
tinsel
Explore 'tinsel' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of gimcrack
Definition
showy but cheap
a gift shop selling gimcrack badges, keyrings and bottle openers
Synonyms
cheap,
vulgar,
tacky (informal),
tasteless,
naff (British, slang),
shoddy,
gaudy,
tawdry,
trashy,
rubbishy,
brummagem
in the sense of meretricious
Definition
superficially or garishly attractive but of no real value