1
: something that appeals to popular or lowbrow taste and is often of poor quality
2
: a tacky or lowbrow quality or condition
teetering on the brink of kitsch—
Ron Miller
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Kitsch is an early 20th-century borrowing from German, and it refers to things in the realm of popular culture that are tacky, like car mirror dice, plastic flamingos, and dashboard hula dancers.
Examples of kitsch in a Sentence
The restaurant is decorated with 1950s furniture and kitsch from old TV shows.
Recent Examples on the Web
John Waters, champion of kitsch and trash, evoked it by offering scratch-and-sniff cards to audiences of his 1981 film, Polyester.
—James Grebey, Vulture, 1 Nov. 2024
The confection shop scenic design by David Zinn doesn’t shy away from kitsch.
—Charles McNulty, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2024
There were more than three dozen sets dotting the tables, adding color, kitsch, charm and conversation to the table settings — everything from a pair of tomatoes to the vintage bride and groom [figures] at our sweetheart table.
—Ashlyn Robinette, People.com, 4 Nov. 2024
With less than a month until the election, political lawn signs dot the Halloween kitsch outside homes across Downriver.
—Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press, 13 Oct. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Kitsch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kitsch. Accessed 13 Dec. 2024.
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