gimmick

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Word: Gimmick

Part of Speech: Noun

Examples:

1. Common Use: "The new restaurant is using a gimmick of free desserts for the first month to attract customers."
2. Advanced Use: "The magician's gimmick involved a hidden trapdoor that made his disappearing act seem magical."

Word Variants:

• Gimmicky (adjective): Describes something that uses gimmicks. For example, "That new phone has a lot of gimmicky features that are not very useful."
• Gimmickry (noun): The use of gimmicks. For example, "The gimmickry in advertising can sometimes mislead consumers."

Different Meanings:

1. Marketing Use: A clever way to promote a product or service that may not be based on substantial value.
2. General Use: Can refer to any small, clever device or trick, like a tool or gadget, that serves a particular purpose.

Synonyms:

• Trick
• Device
• Scheme
• Promotional tool

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• "What's the catch?" - This phrase is often used to question if there is a hidden downside to something that seems too good to be true, similar to questioning a gimmick's true value.

Summary:

A "gimmick" is a clever trick or device, often used in sales or marketing, to attract attention. While it can be interesting, it may not always be practical or genuinely beneficial.

Academic

Noun

1. any clever maneuver
   • he would stoop to any device to win a point
   • it was a great sales gimmick
   • a cheap promotions gimmick for greedy businessmen
2. something unspecified whose name is either forgotten or not known
   • 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
3. a drawback or difficulty that is not readily evident
   • it sounds good but what's the catch?

Synonyms

• device
• twist
• doodad
• doohickey
• doojigger
• gizmo
• gismo
• gubbins
• thingamabob
• thingumabob
• thingmabob
• thingamajig
• thingumajig
• catch