on October 1, 2026, 2:37 pm, in reply to "Republicans can no longer be trusted as Americans."
Origin: It entered the English language in the mid-15th century, coming from the Middle French word tromper, which means "to deceive" or "to cheat".
Trumpery means something that is showy, flashy, or attractive on the surface, but is actually completely worthless, useless, or made of cheap material.
According to consensus on Reddit, it can function as a noun or an adjective to describe physical items like trash, rubbish, and gaudy trinkets, or abstract things like foolish, deceptive talk and empty nonsense.
Meaning & Details
As a Noun: Trash, rubbish, trinkets, or meaningless nonsense.
As an Adjective: Cheap, tawdry, or showy yet utterly worthless.
Usage Examples
"Her shelves were cluttered with trumpery trinkets bought at the market."
"The speech was full of political trumpery, all flash and no substance."
- Sia October 2, 2026, 9:36 pm