gaud
/gɔ:d/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Noun:
- A cheap, showy, and often tasteless piece of jewelry or ornament, especially one worn on clothing.
Usage
- The word "gaud" is a somewhat old-fashioned or literary term. It is used to describe a decorative item that is flashy, ostentatious, and of low quality or poor taste. It carries a negative connotation, implying vulgarity or lack of sophistication.
Examples
- Noun:
- The market stall was filled with cheap gauds and trinkets for tourists.
- She wore a necklace that was a mere gaud, with large, brightly colored plastic beads.
Advanced Usage
- "Gauds" (plural): Often used in the plural form to refer to such items collectively.
- The room was cluttered with the gauds of a bygone era.
- Figurative Use: Can be used metaphorically to describe something showy but insubstantial or false.
- He saw the politician's promises as nothing but rhetorical gauds.
Variants and Related Words
- Gaudy (adjective): Excessively bright and showy, typically so as to be tasteless.
- The gaudy decorations made the room feel overwhelming.
- Gaudery (noun, archaic): Ostentatious or tasteless showiness; finery.
- The play mocked the gaudery of the royal court.
Synonyms
- Bauble: A small, showy trinket or decoration.
- Trinket: A small ornament or item of jewelry that is of little value.
- Gewgaw: A showy thing, especially one that is useless or worthless.
- Tawdry: Showy but cheap and of poor quality.
Antonyms
- Treasure: A valuable object.
- Heirloom: A valuable object that has belonged to a family for several generations.
- Classic: A work of art of recognized and established value; something simple and elegant.
Idioms and Phrases
- "All that glitters is not gold": This common proverb relates to the concept of a "gaud." It means that not everything that looks shiny, attractive, or valuable (like a gaud) is truly valuable or good.
Noun
- cheap showy jewelry or ornament on clothing