ten-cent trinket
- noun
- /ˈtɛnˌsɛnt ˈtrɪŋkɪt/
- Archaic
:
baratija
- She didn't want a ten-cent trinket; she wanted something meaningful.
Examples
-
He gave her a ten-cent trinket as a souvenir from his trip.
-
The shop is full of ten-cent trinkets and novelty gifts.
-
She bought a ten-cent trinket at the flea market.
-
These ten-cent trinkets are perfect for party favors.
-
The shop is full of ten-cent trinkets and novelty gifts.
-
These ten-cent trinkets are perfect for party favors.
-
She didn't want a ten-cent trinket; she wanted something meaningful.
Synonyms
43
3.5
A small cheap object that people keep for decoration or as a gift
18
4.6
A small unimportant thing not worth any attention
16
4.2
A small cheap object people keep to decorate a home
8
9.9
A small inexpensive decorative object kept as a souvenir
2
9.9
Something of little or no worth
1
4.0
A small thing that is not important
Antonyms
How Valuable
676
1.1
22
4.1
22
3.9
145
2.3
- Archaic
373
1.1
Surface Forms
Morphology
ten-cent + trinket
The phrase is fully compositional: 'ten-cent' denotes a very low price and 'trinket' denotes a cheap decorative item, so together they directly convey a small, low-value object. This number+currency + noun pattern is a common, productive construction in English (and similar in other languages), so a B1 learner who knows the constituents would readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Ten-cent trinket comes from old shops where small items were sold for ten cents. A trinket is a tiny ornament, so imagining a little thing sold for a very small price helps explain why the phrase means 'cheap' or 'unimportant'.