Standard Lemma guide

gimmick

noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • UK: /ˈɡɪm.ɪk/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɪmɪk
  • CMU ARPABET: G IH1 M IH0 K Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A trick or device used to attain some end.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The box had a gimmick to make the coin appear to vanish.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A ploy or strategy used to attract attention or gain traction.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The contest was a gimmick to get people to sign up for their mailing list.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A gimmick capacitor.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: business, electrical-engineering, electricity, electromagnetism, electronics, energy, engineering, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, physics

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

A night out with one's friends.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Philippines

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

verb

Meaning 5

To rig or set up with a trick or device.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

Examples

  • The magician's box was gimmicked with a wire that made it appear to open on its own.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

any clever maneuver

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he would stoop to any device to win a point
  • it was a great sales gimmick
  • a cheap promotions gimmick for greedy businessmen

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: device, twist

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: maneuver, manoeuvre, tactical maneuver, tactical manoeuvre

Narrower terms: mnemonic, trick, fast one

7

noun

Meaning 7

something unspecified whose name is either forgotten or not known

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she eased the ball-shaped doodad back into its socket
  • there may be some great new gizmo around the corner that you will want to use

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: doodad, doohickey, doojigger, gizmo, gismo, gubbins, thingamabob, thingumabob, thingmabob, thingamajig, thingumajig, thingmajig, thingummy, whatchamacallit, whatchamacallum, whatsis, widget

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: stuff

8

noun

Meaning 8

a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • it sounds good but what's the catch?

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: catch

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: drawback

History

Etymology

Unknown. Possibly a rough anagram of magic or from gimme.

Across languages

Translations

66 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: трик (trik) — trick or a device
  • Chinese Mandarin: 噱頭 /噱头 (xuétóu) — trick or a device
  • Danish: gimmick — trick or a device
  • Danish: kneb — trick or a device
  • Finnish: temppu — trick or a device
  • Finnish: konsti — trick or a device
  • Finnish: kikka — trick or a device
  • Finnish: viritys — trick or a device
  • French: truc — trick or a device
  • French: gadget — trick or a device
  • French: artifice — trick or a device
  • French: mécanisme — trick or a device
  • Galician: truco — trick or a device
  • Georgian: ხრიკი (xriḳi) — trick or a device
  • Georgian: ტრიუკი (ṭriuḳi) — trick or a device
  • Georgian: ფანდი (pandi) — trick or a device
  • German: Kniff — trick or a device
  • German: Kunstgriff — trick or a device
  • German: Trick — trick or a device
  • Hungarian: trükk — trick or a device
  • Italian: trucco — trick or a device
  • Japanese: 仕掛け (shikake) — trick or a device
  • Japanese: 絡繰り (karakuri) — trick or a device
  • Japanese: ギミック (gimikku) — trick or a device
  • Polish: trik — trick or a device
  • Polish: gadżet — trick or a device
  • Polish: bajer — trick or a device
  • Polish: wihajster — trick or a device
  • Portuguese: artimanha — trick or a device
  • Russian: трюк (trjuk) — trick or a device
  • Serbo-Croatian: trik — trick or a device
  • Serbo-Croatian: štos — trick or a device
  • Spanish: artilugio — trick or a device
  • Spanish: efectismo — trick or a device
  • Turkish: marifet — trick or a device
  • Turkish: numara — trick or a device
  • Turkish: hile — trick or a device
  • Danish: gimmick — clever ploy or strategy
  • Finnish: temppu — clever ploy or strategy
  • Finnish: konsti — clever ploy or strategy
  • Finnish: kikka — clever ploy or strategy
  • French: subterfuge — clever ploy or strategy
  • French: artifice — clever ploy or strategy
  • French: ficelle — clever ploy or strategy
  • French: stratagème — clever ploy or strategy
  • French: astuce — clever ploy or strategy
  • Georgian: ხერხი (xerxi) — clever ploy or strategy
  • Georgian: ფანდი (pandi) — clever ploy or strategy
  • Georgian: ხრიკი (xriḳi) — clever ploy or strategy
  • Georgian: ეშმაკობა (ešmaḳoba) — clever ploy or strategy
  • German: Aufhänger — clever ploy or strategy
  • German: Gag — clever ploy or strategy
  • Hebrew: גימיק — clever ploy or strategy
  • Italian: stratagemma — clever ploy or strategy
  • Polish: chwyt — clever ploy or strategy
  • Polish: myk — clever ploy or strategy
  • Portuguese: estratagema — clever ploy or strategy
  • Russian: уло́вка (ulóvka) — clever ploy or strategy
  • Russian: трюк (trjuk) — clever ploy or strategy
  • Russian: ухищре́ние (uxiščrénije) — clever ploy or strategy
  • Spanish: artilugio — clever ploy or strategy
  • Swedish: gimmick — clever ploy or strategy
  • Finnish: virittää — to rig or set up with a trick or device
  • Finnish: viritellä — to rig or set up with a trick or device
  • Italian: truccare — to rig or set up with a trick or device
  • Swedish: preparera — to rig or set up with a trick or device