newfangled
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Adjective: 1. New and often needlessly novel or trendy: Describes something recently created or fashionable, often with a critical connotation that it is unnecessarily modern, overly complex, or a passing fad. 2. Characterized by newness, especially in a way that is unfamiliar or unwelcome: Implies a sense of novelty that is viewed with suspicion, disdain, or resistance, often by those who prefer traditional ways.
Usage
The word "newfangled" is used attributively (before a noun) or predicatively (after a linking verb like "is"). It is often hyphenated as "new-fangled." It carries a negative or skeptical tone, suggesting the new thing is gimmicky, overly complicated, or not an improvement over the old.
Examples
- Attributive use:
- He has no patience for these newfangled gadgets.
- My grandfather dismisses all new-fangled management theories.
- Predicative use:
- The design seemed unnecessarily newfangled and confusing.
- I find that app too newfangled for my simple needs.
Advanced Usage
- "newfangled contraption": A dismissive term for a new and seemingly overly complex device.
- What does this newfangled contraption do, anyway?
- "newfangled notion": A skeptical reference to a modern idea or trend.
- He rejected the newfangled notion that work could be done remotely.
Variants and Related Words
- New-fangled (adj): A common hyphenated variant of "newfangled."
- Newfangledness (n, rare): The state or quality of being newfangled.
Synonyms
- Novel (less pejorative)
- Trendy
- Gimmicky
- Modernistic (often pejorative)
- State-of-the-art (usually positive, unlike "newfangled")
Antonyms
- Old-fashioned
- Traditional
- Time-tested
- Classic
- Archaic
Idioms and Common Phrases
- "All these newfangled things/ideas": A phrase expressing general frustration or dismissal of modern trends.
- I can't keep up with all these newfangled things.
Adjective
- (of a new kind or fashion) gratuitously new
- newfangled ideas
- she buys all these new-fangled machines and never uses them