Etymologically
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kitsch

This is the current revision of this entry, as edited by bogdan on 15 October 2026 at 00:38. This address is a permanent link to this version.
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Pronunciation

  • IPA: /kɪt͡ʃ/[1]

Etymology

It is borrowed from German Kitsch,[2][3][4][5] probably of dialect origin,[2] from kitschen “to smear”[3] or “to throw together a work of art”.[5]

Earliest recorded meaning

Art or objects marked by worthless pretentiousness (1926 in the OED and Etymonline; 1925 in Merriam-Webster).[6][3][4]

Semantic evolution

Before 1926 it appeared in English as a German word,[3] as in a 1921 article contrasting German süsses Kitsch, the art of the picture postcard, with English taste.[3] It came to mean sentimental, gaudy or vulgar art and decoration made to appeal to popular taste,[2][4][5] and also the attitude that enjoys it.[2] The adjective kitschy follows in 1951.[6]

Timeline

  • 1921 – as a German word in English.[3]
  • 1925–26 – kitsch.[4][6][3]
  • 1951 – kitschy.[6]

Modern meaning

Noun

  1. Art or objects of sentimental, pretentious or vulgar bad taste, made to appeal to popular taste.
  2. A tacky or lowbrow quality.

Adjective

  1. Characterized by kitsch.

Word family

  • kitschify
  • kitschy

References

  1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
  2. ^ a b c d The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas. Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
  4. ^ a b c d Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
  5. ^ a b c Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
  6. ^ a b c d Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press