gewgaw

/ˈɡjuːɡɔː/

Etymology

From earlier gugaw, gygaw, from Middle English givegove (“gewgaw, trifle”), a reduplication of Middle English give, geove (“gift”), from Old English giefu, geofu, geafu (“gift”), from Proto-Germanic *gebō (“gift”). Compare Icelandic gyligjöf (“showy gifts, gewgaw”). More at give.

gewgaw means Showy; unreal; pretentious. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 76 out of 100.

Why this word is great

GEWGAW — [Noun, Adjective] A showy but worthless trinket; as an adjective, describing something ostentatiously unreal or pretentious. From earlier English forms *gugaw*, *gygaw*, from Middle English *givegowe*, a reduplication of Middle English *give*, *geove* ("gift"), from Old English *giefu*, *geofu* ("gift"), from Proto-Germanic *gebō ("gift"). Unlike a "bauble," which may be a simple, unassuming ornament, or a "keepsake," which is anchored in genuine sentiment, a gewgaw is defined by its tawdry ambition and inherent valuelessness. It is the greasy plastic gem on a tin ring, the chrome-plated figurine atop a cheap trophy, or the gilded scrollwork on a particle-board frame—each a small, bright testament to our willingness to be delighted by facsimiles, a monument to the human urge to gild the insignificant.

adj

Showy; unreal; pretentious.“The rattle of a globe to play withal, This gewgaw world, and put him cheaply off;”

noun

A showy trifle, a toy; a showy trinket, ornament or decoration.“A heavy gewgaw called a crown.”