different between tasteless vs tinsel

English

Etymology

taste +? -less

Adjective

tasteless (comparative more tasteless, superlative most tasteless)

1. Having no flavour; bland, insipid
2. Lacking delicacy, refinement and good taste; unbecoming, crass.

Derived terms

• tastelessness
• tastelessly

Translations

Anagrams

• stateless

English

Etymology

From Middle French estincelle (“spark”) (compare French étincelle), from Latin scintilla; compare scintillate, stencil.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?t?n.s?l/
• Rhymes: -?ns?l

Noun

tinsel (usually uncountable, plural tinsels)

1. A shining material used for ornamental purposes; especially, a very thin, gauzelike cloth with much gold or silver woven into it; also, very thin metal overlaid with a thin coating of gold or silver, brass foil, or the like.
   • 1675, John Dryden, Aureng-zebe

     Who can discern the tinsel from the gold?
2. Very thin strips of a glittering, metallic material used as a decoration, and traditionally draped at Christmas time over streamers, paper chains and the branches of Christmas trees.
3. Anything shining and gaudy; something superficially shining and showy, or having a false luster, and more pretty than valuable.
   • 1782, William Cowper, Truth

     O happy peasant! O unhappy bard! His the mere tinsel, hers the rich reward.

Translations

Adjective

tinsel (not comparable)

1. Glittering, later especially superficially so; gaudy, showy.
   • 1590, Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene, III.1:

     Her garments all were wrought of beaten gold, / And all her steed with tinsell trappings shone […]

Verb

tinsel (third-person singular simple present tinsels, present participle (UK) tinselling or (US) tinseling, simple past and past participle (UK) tinselled or (US) tinseled)

1. (transitive) To adorn with tinsel; to deck out with cheap but showy ornaments; to make gaudy.

   • She, tinseled o'er in robes of varying hues

2. (figuratively, transitive) To give a false sparkle to (something).

Derived terms

• tinseled, tinselled
• tinselly
• Tinseltown

See also

• trimmings
• trim up

References

• tinsel in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Anagrams

• ELINTs, SILENT, Teslin, enlist, inlets, leints, listen, silent