tinselly

[ tin-suh-lee ]

adjective

1. decorated with or abounding in tinsel.
2. cheap and gaudy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of tinselly¹

First recorded in 1805–15; tinsel + -y ¹

Example Sentences

“Upstairs” meant the museum’s fourth and fifth floors, where “Queer Maximalism x Machine Dazzle,” on view through Feb. 19, is currently offering perhaps the city’s most glittery, tinselly, witty display of bling this holiday season.

From New York Times

They were a bit cringeworthy, I thought, but I wanted a tinselly, childlike vibe for an evening house party.

From Washington Post

Unlike other black trees on the market, Trombetta’s has a matte finish, so it does not have a glittery, tinselly cast, which she says would be too blingy for her.

From Washington Post

The sense of veracity is reinforced by the inclusion of famous biographical anecdotes, though the execution sometimes betrays the production’s tinselly soul.

From New York Times

There’s something about Christmas – maybe it’s the Dickensian tradition of intergenerational reflection, or maybe it’s because people will buy any old bilge if it’s tinselly enough – that just screams “harrowing displays of artistic theft”.

From The Guardian