kitsch
/kɪt͡ʃ/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 2.69 in modern English
15
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
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.
Uncountable
adj
Of art and decor: of questionable aesthetic value; excessively sentimental, overdone or vulgar.
Example Sentences
- "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."
- "[…] a picture of lemur-eyed children of the sort one sees in the kitscher sort of Italian restaurant […]"
- "Abe Lincoln, Paul Bunyan and kitsch souvenir coconut heads come across as icons of masculinity."
- "I recognized her at once even though she wasn't wearing the tweed hunting outfit and the kitsch headwear."
- "We don’t see the design or construction of the Trojan Horse; instead, a kitsch, poorly designed horse (with no wheels) appears on the windswept beach as if dumped there by drone."
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.
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: Kitsch
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /kɪt͡ʃ/
- British English: /kɪt͡ʃ/
Usage
Inflected Forms
kitsches (plural)
kitscher (comparative)
more kitsch (comparative)
kitschest (superlative)
most kitsch (superlative)