frippery

IPA/ˈfrɪpəri/
IPA/ˈfrɪpəri/

frippery — noun

  • fripperysingular
  • fripperiesplural

1. objects and pieces of clothing that are intended to look fancy or expensive but

1.nounC1
Definition

objects and pieces of clothing that are intended to look fancy or expensive but have little real value and are often considered to be in bad taste

Example

Aunt Rosa decorated her living room with gilded frippery that impressed her neighbours but collected dust.

collocation: gilded frippery

The costume shop sold cheap frippery that looked glamorous on stage but fell apart after one show.

collocation: cheap frippery

Common collocations
  • gilded frippery
  • cheap frippery
  • expensive frippery
  • gold frippery
  • pointless frippery
Synonyms
  • trinket

    a small decorative item; 'trinket' is neutral, 'frippery' is disapproving

  • bauble

    a showy but worthless ornament; 'bauble' is more specific to Christmas decorations or jewellery, 'frippery' covers a wider range

  • knick-knack

    a small decorative object for the home; 'knick-knack' is neutral or affectionate, 'frippery' is critical

  • tinsel

    showy but cheap decoration; 'tinsel' is literally the shiny strips, 'frippery' is broader

Antonyms
  • essential

    something necessary or needed, the opposite of a showy but useless item

  • necessity

    something you cannot do without, contrasted with frippery which is purely decorative

Grammar Patterns

frippery (uncountable, general)

fripperies (countable plural, individual items)

Usage Note

Carries a disapproving tone; frequently appears in contexts where the speaker is criticising something as wasteful or in poor taste. The uncountable form (frippery) refers to the concept in general; the countable plural (fripperies) refers to individual items.

Common Mistakes

I love your frippery collection' (positive tone).
Her room was full of cheap frippery' (critical tone).
'frippery' carries disapproval; it is not a neutral or positive word for fancy decorations.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four words describe decorative items that are not essential, but they differ in connotation and scope. 'Trinket' is neutral — a small, often inexpensive ornament you might buy as a souvenir ('she kept a box of trinkets from her travels'). 'Bauble' is more specific and mildly negative, usually referring to a shiny ornament like a Christmas bauble or a piece of flashy jewellery. 'Knick-knack' is a cosy, affectionate word for small decorative objects on shelves or tables, with no inherent criticism. 'Tinsel' refers literally to the thin shiny strips used at Christmas, but can also describe anything superficially glittery but cheap. 'Frippery' stands apart because it always carries disapproval: the speaker is criticising the item as wasteful, tacky, or in poor taste — you would not call a cherished souvenir 'frippery', but a gaudy plastic trophy might deserve the label.

trinket ↗bauble ↗knick-knack ↗tinsel ↗

Common collocations

Phrases

  • full of frippery
  • frippery and nonsense

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

'frippery' entered English in the 1500s from French 'freperie', which meant old clothes or rags. That French word came from Old French 'frepe' (a rag or a frill), which may trace back to Latin 'faluppa' (a worthless thing). The meaning shifted gradually: first 'old clothes sold at a market', then 'cast-off finery', and finally 'showy but worthless decoration' — the sense that survives today.