- Today's Word
Kitschy
[ki-chee]
Definition
- (adjective) A word to describe something that is considered to be in poor taste because of excessive garishness or sentimentality, but sometimes appreciated in an ironic or knowing way. It often refers to art, decorative objects, or ideas that are overly sentimental, pretentious, or tacky.
Example
The tourist shop was filled with kitschy souvenirs, from snow globes of the Eiffel Tower to plastic replicas of famous sculptures.
Fun Fact
The word “kitsch” comes from the German word “verkitschen,” which means “to make cheap.” It emerged in the art markets of Munich in the 1860s and 1870s, used to describe cheap, popular, and marketable pictures and sketches. Over time, it evolved to describe any art or object that is excessively garish, sentimental, or in poor taste. Interestingly, while “kitsch” was originally a purely negative term, it has gained some positive connotations in postmodern culture, where kitschy items are sometimes celebrated for their ironic appeal or as nostalgic artifacts.