A gadget is a small machine or device which does something useful. You sometimes refer to something as a gadget when you are suggesting that it is complicated and unnecessary.
...kitchen gadgets including toasters, kettles and percolators.
You don't need the latest gadgets to get in shape.
Synonyms: device, thing, appliance, machine More Synonyms of gadget
gadget in British English
(ˈɡædʒɪt)
noun
1.
a small mechanical device or appliance
2.
any object that is interesting for its ingenuity or novelty rather than for its practical use
Derived forms
gadgety (ˈgadgety)
adjective
Word origin
C19: perhaps from French gâchette lock catch, trigger, diminutive of gâche staple
gadget in American English
(ˈgædʒɪt)
noun
1.
any small, esp. mechanical contrivance or device
2.
any interesting but relatively useless or unnecessary object
Derived forms
gadgety (ˈgadgety)
adjective
Word origin
< ? Fr gâchette, catch (of a lock), tumbler, dim. of gâche, a bolt, catch
Examples of 'gadget' in a sentence
gadget
These gadgets used to be seen only in designer kitchens, but are now included in less expensive ones too.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
DO YOU have a small gadget that you use to make online banking payments?
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Merseyside cops are the first to use the gadget.
The Sun (2010)
There are myriad gadgets and technology software available to spy on partners.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Splash out on either and your gadget machine could end up an obsolete anachronism.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
There is no other kitchen gadget to quite match it.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
What kitchen gadget would you recommend?
The Sun (2013)
The tendency for gadgets to become smaller hasn't helped.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
But what is 2014 likely to hold in the world of gadgets and technology?
The Sun (2014)
Who'll get custody of all the kitchen gadgets?
The Sun (2016)
The next question surely is: to display the gadgets in the kitchen or not to display?
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
How about some industrial lighting in fuchsia, or a kitchen gadget in pastel pink?
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But can a kitchen gadget change not just your life, but the world?
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
On the consumer side of the industry, activists are campaigning against the pollutants used to make gadgets.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Too many appliances and gadgets have been promoted without any real assurance that they are being properly installed and are delivering value for money.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
TWO friends out flying a drone helicopter used the gadget to help firefighters track a huge grass blaze.
The Sun (2015)
But a slowdown in supply could stifle the sector's ability to keep up with growing consumer demand for gadgets.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
But phones, tablets and other gadgets that are used by one person are the unmanned drones of digital retailing.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
If you are planning on using gadgets outside of the home, make sure that use is covered in your policy.
The Sun (2014)
Do you use cooking gadgets?
The Sun (2013)
If your library is on a gadget rather than sprawling impressively across your drawing room, it does rather limit the effect.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He loves cars, technology, gadgets and theatre.
The Sun (2014)
Which means Americans can continue to satisfy their appetites for both the largest fast-food meals and the smallest gadgets.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
There are a number of crucial differences between a gadget and small human being, one of the most important being the lackof any comprehensible menu system.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The premises we raided were a fraudster's utopia, with a dizzying array of machines and gadgets designed to commit serious fraud.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Its designs are finding their way into an increasing range of consumer gadgets beyond mobile phones, such as digital TVs and toys.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
gadget
British English: gadget NOUN
A gadget is a small machine or device which does something useful.
...kitchen gadgets including toasters, kettles, and percolators.
American English: gadget
Brazilian Portuguese: aparelho
Chinese: 小器械 >有时暗指复杂、不必要的东西
European Spanish: aparato
French: gadget
German: Gerät
Italian: aggeggio
Japanese: 小道具
Korean: 작은 기계
European Portuguese: aparelho
Latin American Spanish: aparato
Chinese translation of 'gadget'
gadget
(ˈɡædʒɪt)
n(c)
小装(裝)置 (xiǎozhuāngzhì) (个(個), gè)
(noun)
Definition
a small mechanical device or appliance
a handy gadget for slicing vegetables
Synonyms
device
This device can measure minute quantities of matter.
thing
What's that thing in the middle of the fountain?
appliance
We need to replace the washing machine and some other household appliances.
machine
I put a coin in the machine and pulled the lever.
tool
The best tool for the purpose is a pair of shears.
implement
writing implements
invention
It's been tricky marketing his new invention.
instrument
a thin tube-like optical instrument
novelty
At Easter, we give them plastic eggs filled with small toys, novelties and coins.
apparatus
He was rescued by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus.
gimmick
It's just a public relations gimmick.
utensil
The technique uses a single utensil to cook and serve.
contraption (informal)
an interesting musical contraption called a Theremin
gizmo (slang)
contrivance
They wear simple clothes and shun modern contrivances.
waldo
Additional synonyms
in the sense of apparatus
Definition
a collection of equipment used for a particular purpose
He was rescued by firefighters wearing breathing apparatus.
Synonyms
equipment,
machine,
tackle,
gear,
means,
materials,
device,
tools,
implements,
mechanism,
outfit,
machinery,
appliance,
utensils,
contraption (informal)
in the sense of appliance
Definition
a machine or device that has a specific function
We need to replace the washing machine and some other household appliances.
Synonyms
device,
machine,
tool,
instrument,
implement,
mechanism,
apparatus,
gadget,
waldo
in the sense of contraption
Definition
a strange-looking device or gadget
an interesting musical contraption called a Theremin