clinquant: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Literary, Formal
Quick answer
What does “clinquant” mean?
Tinsel-like or gaudy glitter.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
Tinsel-like or gaudy glitter; superficially showy, but cheap or false finery.
Anything that has a flashy, tawdry, or superficially brilliant appearance, often suggesting a lack of genuine substance or value behind the sparkle.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Extremely rare in both dialects; slightly more historical presence in British literary contexts.
Connotations
Identical connotations of false glitter and cheap showiness.
Frequency
A 'dictionary word' in both varieties, unlikely to be encountered outside literary criticism or very formal prose.
Grammar
How to Use “clinquant” in a Sentence
Used predicatively: 'The decor was merely clinquant.'Used attributively: 'They dismissed it as clinquant pageantry.'Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “clinquant” in a Sentence
adjective
British English
- The critic dismissed the palace's restoration as a piece of clinquant vulgarity.
- Beneath its clinquant surface, the novel offered little of substance.
American English
- He saw through the candidate's clinquant rhetoric to the empty promises beneath.
- The ballroom was a vision of clinquant excess, all crystal and gold leaf.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used occasionally in literary or art criticism to describe gaudy or superficially impressive style.
Everyday
Extremely rare; would be considered an esoteric or pretentious word choice.
Technical
Not used in technical fields.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “clinquant”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “clinquant”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “clinquant”
- Using it as a neutral synonym for 'sparkling'.
- Spelling it as 'clinquent' or 'clinkant'.
- Using it in casual conversation where it would sound affected.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, it is a very rare, literary word. Most native English speakers would not know it or use it in everyday conversation.
Almost never. Its core meaning includes a negative judgment of being cheap, false, or tastelessly showy. Using it positively would be highly unconventional.
It comes from the French word 'clinquant', meaning 'glittering', from the obsolete Dutch 'klinkant', itself from 'klinken' meaning 'to clink or ring'.
Primarily as an adjective. It can be used as a noun (meaning 'glittering tinsel'), but this usage is even rarer than its adjectival use.
Tinsel-like or gaudy glitter.
Clinquant is usually literary, formal in register.
Clinquant: in British English it is pronounced /ˈklɪŋkənt/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈklɪŋkənt/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[None specific; the word itself is used in a descriptive, often metaphorical way]”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CLINKing sound of cheap metal and a showy ANT queen with fake glitter on her antennae - it's all superficial shine.
Conceptual Metaphor
GLITTER/SPARKLE IS SUPERFICIALITY (The external shine hides a lack of internal value).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following best describes something that is 'clinquant'?