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Glite Dictionary
chintzy gift

chintzy gift

7.2
A gift that is cheap and badly made
  • noun
  • /ˈtʃɪn.tzi ɡɪft/
  • Informal
: regalo barato
  • The company handed out chintzy gifts at the event that fell apart within days.

Examples

  • He was disappointed to receive a chintzy gift for his birthday instead of something meaningful.

  • No one wanted to admit they had brought the chintzy gift to the secret Santa exchange.

  • She received a chintzy gift for her birthday.

  • I can't believe he gave me a chintzy gift!

  • He was disappointed to receive a chintzy gift for his birthday instead of something meaningful.

  • The company handed out chintzy gifts at the event that fell apart within days.

  • No one wanted to admit they had brought the chintzy gift to the secret Santa exchange.

Synonyms

cheapie
vschintzy gift
  • Informal
2 6.3

A thing that costs very little and is often made badly

applies specifically to items given to others rather than any object

Antonyms

valuable
241 2.3

Worth a lot of money, like a painting or necklace

thoughtful
83 2.1

Caring about other people's needs and feelings

How Generous

to lavish
17 5.3
token
13 3.4
chintzy gift
  • Informal
7.2

Surface Forms

chintzy gift singular
chintzy gifts plural

Morphology

chintzy + gift

The meaning is directly compositional: 'chintzy' (cheap, tacky, low-quality) modifies 'gift' (an item given), so the phrase denotes a cheaply made or low-quality present. This follows a standard adjective + noun pattern found across languages, so a B1 learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE's meaning.

Etymology

Chintzy gift may come from the word chintz, a printed cotton cloth from India that later was used for cheap, mass-made items. Because those goods felt low in value, people began calling things chintzy to mean 'cheap' or 'poor quality', so a chintzy gift is a present that looks cheap or poorly made.