tinsel
1 of 3noun
tin·sel ˈtin(t)-səl 
also ˈtin-zəl
1
: threads, strips, or sheets of metal, paper, or plastic used to produce a glittering and sparkling appearance in fabrics, yarns, or decorations
2
: something superficially attractive or glamorous but of little real worth
disfigured by no gaudy tinsel of rhetoric or declamation
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jeffersontinsel
2 of 3adjective
1
: made of or covered with tinsel
2
a
: cheaply gaudy : tawdry
b
: specious, superficial
tinsel promises
tinsel
3 of 3verb
tinseled or tinselled; tinseling or tinselling ˈtin(t)-s(ə-)liŋ
also ˈtin-zə-liŋ
transitive verb
1
: to interweave, overlay, or adorn with or as if with tinsel
2
: to impart a specious brightness to
Synonyms
Noun
- candyfloss [British]
- cotton candy
- eye candy
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Noun I like to decorate the Christmas tree with tinsel. He's not attracted to the tinsel and glitter of Hollywood.
Recent Examples on the Web Alice Newbold, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2022 Below the gems placed on her ears came holographic rainbow tinsel that flowed into her loose lower sections. Chelsea Avila, Allure, 24 Aug. 2022 Will tinsel and a mirror ball be part of the experience? Joy Ashford, BostonGlobe.com, 15 July 2022 It was made of yellow satin, metallic thread embroidery, midnight blue velvet, yellow tulle with applied tinsel, and glass pearls. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 2 May 2022 Kristen McMenamy's duet of braids was elevated by her length, side-part, and silvered shade, a cool complement to Megan Thee Stallion's brush verdant (and tinsel-strewn) half-up hair. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2022 Ella Emhoff admired the tinsel knitting on her dress. Steff Yotka, Vogue, 5 May 2022 In February alone, the rapper was spied rocking hair tinsel on three separate occasions. Gabi Thorne, Allure, 7 Mar. 2022 Mendes's golden tinsel dress, and her glowy makeup look, is meant to channel how the Electric Light dress was lit. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 2 May 2022 Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2018 And while my beard has tinseled, the intervening years haven’t exactly been kind to Rome either. Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 1 June 2017 See More
Noun
Jennifer Lawrence’s tinsel-effect Dior maternity red-carpet wear? Alice Newbold, Glamour, 1 Sep. 2022 Below the gems placed on her ears came holographic rainbow tinsel that flowed into her loose lower sections. Chelsea Avila, Allure, 24 Aug. 2022 Will tinsel and a mirror ball be part of the experience? Joy Ashford, BostonGlobe.com, 15 July 2022 It was made of yellow satin, metallic thread embroidery, midnight blue velvet, yellow tulle with applied tinsel, and glass pearls. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 2 May 2022 Kristen McMenamy's duet of braids was elevated by her length, side-part, and silvered shade, a cool complement to Megan Thee Stallion's brush verdant (and tinsel-strewn) half-up hair. Calin Van Paris, Vogue, 13 Feb. 2022 Ella Emhoff admired the tinsel knitting on her dress. Steff Yotka, Vogue, 5 May 2022 In February alone, the rapper was spied rocking hair tinsel on three separate occasions. Gabi Thorne, Allure, 7 Mar. 2022 Mendes's golden tinsel dress, and her glowy makeup look, is meant to channel how the Electric Light dress was lit. Emily Burack, Town & Country, 2 May 2022 Verb
Connor’s new prints, on the other hand, made by the industrial dye-sublimation process on aluminum, are but tinseled imitations of her own extraordinary originals. Charles Desmarais, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2018 And while my beard has tinseled, the intervening years haven’t exactly been kind to Rome either. Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 1 June 2017 See More Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English tyneseyle cloth interwoven with metallic thread, probably from Anglo-French tencelé, past participle of tenceler, estenceler to sparkle — more at stencil
First Known Use
Noun
1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Adjective
1575, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Verb
1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Kids Definition
tinsel
noun
tin·sel ˈtin-səl
1
: a thread or strip of metal or plastic used for decoration
2
: something that seems attractive but is of little worth
tinsel
noun
as in glitter
something attractive but lacking in substance a book that examines popular fame and finds it to be very disposable tinsel Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- glitter
- candyfloss
- cotton candy
- eye candy
- gossamer
- froth
- window dressing
- gloss
- fluff
- commit to paper
- commit to writing
- commitednesses
- commitment
- commitment ceremony
- commitments
- commits
- committable
- committal
- committal for sentence
- committal hearing
- committal proceeding
- committals
- committed
- committed relationship
- committee
- committee of correspondence
- committee of one
- committee of selection
- committee of supply
- committee of the whole
- committee on committees
- committeeman
- committeemen
- committees