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Glite Dictionary
Jesus junk

Jesus junk

9.9
Small, cheap Christian items like statues or key rings that people think are in poor taste
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒiːzəs dʒʌŋk/
  • Slang
translation icon : artículos de Jesús
  • His grandmother's shelves are packed with Jesus junk from decades of church bazaars.

Examples

  • They laughed at the collection of Jesus junk on sale at the roadside stand.

  • She regretted buying so much Jesus junk on her vacation, but the souvenirs made her smile.

  • I found some Jesus junk at the flea market.

  • Many people think that Jesus junk is tacky.

  • His grandmother's shelves are packed with Jesus junk from decades of church bazaars.

  • She regretted buying so much Jesus junk on her vacation, but the souvenirs made her smile.

  • They laughed at the collection of Jesus junk on sale at the roadside stand.

Synonyms

junk
vsJesus junk
373 1.1

Old or broken things that are no longer useful

is narrower, naming religious memorabilia judged tacky rather than simply broken
piece of junk
vsJesus junk
  • Informal
36 3.2

A thing that is worth little and does not work well

is similar in low value but refers to religious themed items rather than breakage
kitsch
vsJesus junk
15 8.1

Objects or art that look cheap and too sentimental but are sometimes liked as a joke

is similar but applies specifically to religious trinkets judged tasteless
merch
vsJesus junk
  • Texting
14 7.9

Products that a band or brand sells to fans, like T-shirts

is about religious souvenirs often seen as cheap or kitschy

How Tacky

kitsch
15 8.1
Jesus junk
  • Slang
9.9
trinket
43 3.5
souvenir
145 2.3

Surface Forms

Jesus junk singular
Jesus junks plural

Morphology

Jesus + junk

The phrase's meaning ('Christian-themed trinkets of little value') is directly inferable from combining 'Jesus' (religious figure/subject) with 'junk' (worthless or low-quality items). This is a straightforward compositional, pejorative noun+noun construction familiar across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily grasp the intended sense (though they should note the slang/derogatory tone).

Etymology

The noun Jesus junk may come from markets and church sales full of cheap Christian items. People saw many small Jesus items made in large numbers that looked like junk, so the phrase now means 'Christian-themed trinkets' seen as cheap or 'in poor taste'.