kitsch

noun
/kɪt͡ʃ/UK

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.

  1. borrowed from Kitsch

Definitions

  1. Art, decorative objects, and other forms of representation of questionable artistic or…

    Art, decorative objects, and other forms of representation of questionable artistic or aesthetic value; a representation that is excessively sentimental, overdone, or vulgar.

    • 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.
  2. Of art and decor

    Of art and decor: of questionable aesthetic value; excessively sentimental, overdone or vulgar.

    • […] 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.

The neighborhood

Vish — recursive loop

No curated loop yet for kitsch. Loops are being traced one word at a time while the ingestion pipeline matures.

sense glosses and etymology drawn from English Wiktionary · source · CC-BY-SA