tinsel
/ˈtɪnsl/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈtɪnsl/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtin(t)-səl also ˈtin-zəl/ (ame, mw)
tinsel — 名詞
1. long, thin, shiny strips made of metal foil, plastic, or paper that people hang
金蔥；亮片
聖誕節用的閃亮裝飾條
long, thin, shiny strips made of metal foil, plastic, or paper that people hang on Christmas trees and around rooms to make things look bright and festive.
Quan hung silver tinsel over the living room doorway before the party.
Quan 在派對前把銀色金蔥掛在客廳門上。
collocation: silver tinsel / gold tinsel
The children helped their grandmother drape tinsel across the Christmas tree branches.
孩子們幫祖母把金蔥繞在聖誕樹的枝條上。
verb collocation: drape / hang / string tinsel
A few strands of gold tinsel were still stuck to the window frame in January.
到了一月，窗框上還卡著幾條金色亮片。
Diya bought three rolls of tinsel at the holiday market for fifty cents each.
Diya 在聖誕市集用五毛美金買了三捲金蔥。
- garland
a decorative chain or wreath, not limited to shiny material or Christmas
- fairy lights
small electric lights used as decoration, different material but similar Christmas purpose
- bareness
lack of decoration altogether
用法筆記
Tinsel is an uncountable noun in English. To refer to individual pieces, use phrases like 'a strand of tinsel', 'a strip of tinsel', or 'a roll of tinsel'. Do not say 'a tinsel'.
常見錯誤
2. things or activities that seem exciting, attractive, or glamorous on the outside
浮華
表面光鮮但無實質價值的東西
things or activities that seem exciting, attractive, or glamorous on the outside but have little real value, depth, or honesty beneath the surface.
The awards ceremony was all tinsel and no substance, according to the critics.
評論家說這場頒獎典禮只有浮華，沒有實質。
fixed phrase: all tinsel and no substance
Obi quickly grew tired of the tinsel of city nightlife and moved back home.
Obi 很快就厭倦了城市夜生活的浮華，搬回了家鄉。
Behind the glittering tinsel of the fashion show, the workers were paid very little.
在那場時裝秀光鮮亮麗的浮華背後，工作人員的薪水非常低。
The movie's tinsel could not hide its weak story and shallow characters.
那部電影的浮華掩蓋不了它薄弱的故事和空洞的角色。
- substance
real value, meaning, or quality behind appearances
用法筆記
This figurative sense carries a slightly disapproving or critical tone. It suggests that someone or something is trying to appear more impressive, glamorous, or successful than they really are.
常見錯誤
tinsel — 形容詞
1. made from or covered with the shiny, thin material called tinsel, usually as a C
金蔥製的
用閃亮裝飾條做成的
made from or covered with the shiny, thin material called tinsel, usually as a Christmas decoration.
A tinsel garland hung above the fireplace in the old family home.
老家壁爐上方掛著一條金蔥花環。
attributive use: tinsel + noun (garland, wreath, curtain)
The shop sold tinsel wreathes, plastic snowflakes, and other Christmas decorations.
那家店賣金蔥花圈、塑膠雪花和其他聖誕飾品。
Élise wore a tinsel necklace that sparkled under the party lights.
Élise 戴了一條金蔥項鍊，在派對燈光下閃閃發亮。
Christopher made a tinsel star for the top of the Christmas tree.
Christopher 做了一顆金蔥星星，放在聖誕樹的最頂端。
- plain
without any decoration or shininess
用法筆記
Used before a noun. Unlike the noun form, the adjective form is countable — you can say 'a tinsel garland' or 'tinsel decorations'.
2. looking bright, flashy, or heavily decorated in a way that seems cheap, low-qual
俗豔的
廉價俗氣、沒有品味的
looking bright, flashy, or heavily decorated in a way that seems cheap, low-quality, or lacking good taste.
The hotel lobby was decorated with tinsel curtains that looked cheap and sticky.
飯店大廳掛著俗豔的金蔥窗簾，看起來廉價又黏膩。
negative connotation of tinsel as adjective for gaudy decor
Kian refused to wear the tinsel jacket his uncle had brought from the flea market.
Kian 拒絕穿他叔叔從跳蚤市場買回來的那件俗豔外套。
A tinsel tiara sat crooked on the little girl's head during the school play.
一頂俗豔的金蔥皇冠歪斜地戴在小女孩頭上，她正在參加學校話劇演出。
用法筆記
This sense is mildly disapproving. It describes items that are trying to look fancy or expensive but clearly are not. The disapproval is about the lack of quality, not about the person using the item.
3. appearing attractive, impressive, or valuable at first glance but turning out to
華而不實的
表面好看但缺乏真實價值的
appearing attractive, impressive, or valuable at first glance but turning out to be shallow, false, or lacking real worth upon closer examination.
The politician's tinsel promises vanished as soon as the election was over.
那位政治人物華而不實的承諾在選舉一結束就消失了。
figurative use: tinsel + abstract noun (promises, charm, image)
Mei saw through her tinsel charm after just one conversation.
Mei 只跟他聊了一次就看穿了他華而不實的魅力。
The company's tinsel image of success hid years of financial trouble.
那間公司華而不實的成功形象，掩蓋了多年來的財務問題。
- superficial
existing only at the surface level; broader and more neutral than tinsel
- specious
seeming correct or true but actually wrong or false; more formal and intellectual in tone
- deceptive
giving a false impression; focused on the act of misleading rather than the lack of value
- genuine
truly what it appears to be; real and authentic
- substantial
having real value, importance, or weight
用法筆記
Slightly formal and literary. Used to describe abstract things — promises, charm, reputation, image — that seem good or valuable at first but are discovered to be empty or deceptive.
tinsel — 動詞
1. to decorate something by putting tinsel on it or threading tinsel through it, us
裝飾金蔥
用亮片裝飾條來布置
to decorate something by putting tinsel on it or threading tinsel through it, usually for a festive or holiday purpose.
Ramón tinseled the classroom door frame for the holiday party.
Ramón 為了聖誕派對在教室門框上裝飾了金蔥。
active use: tinsel + object
The old family tree was tinseled with silver strands every Christmas Eve.
每年聖誕夜，老家的聖誕樹都會掛上銀色金蔥。
passive: be tinseled with [material]
Dahlia spent the afternoon tinseling paper chains for the school fair.
Dahlia 花了一下午為學校園遊會用金蔥裝飾紙鏈。
文法句型
tinsel + object + with + material
be tinseled with
用法筆記
Inflected as a regular verb: tinsel / tinseled (US) or tinselled (UK) / tinseling (US) or tinselling (UK). The literal decorating sense is uncommon in everyday speech — most English speakers use 'put tinsel on' instead.
2. to give something a showy, flashy surface appearance in an attempt to make it se
粉飾
以浮誇外觀掩蓋真相
to give something a showy, flashy surface appearance in an attempt to make it seem more attractive, exciting, or valuable than it really is.
The producer tinseled the old musical with glitter and loud costumes to attract crowds.
製作人用亮片和誇張的服裝粉飾那部老音樂劇，以吸引觀眾。
figurative: tinsel + object + with [superficial additions]
Ignacio felt the director had tinseled a serious story with too many special effects.
Ignacio 覺得導演用太多特效粉飾了一個嚴肅的故事。
The developer tinseled the old building with a fresh coat of bright paint and cheap lights.
建商用一層鮮豔的油漆和廉價燈具粉飾那棟老公寓。
- gloss over
to hide or ignore something bad by treating it as unimportant; a phrasal verb common in everyday English
- varnish
to cover something unpleasant with a pleasant appearance; originally about coating with varnish
- gild
to cover with a thin layer of gold; also used figuratively to mean 'make something seem better than it is'
- strip
remove the outer decoration to reveal the truth underneath
文法句型
tinsel + object + with + attribute
用法筆記
A rare and literary verb sense, used with a critical tone. It suggests that the person doing the tinseling is covering up real flaws with a shiny but fake-looking surface.