trumpery

/ˈtrʌmpəri/

Other forms: trumperies

Pretty or fancy objects that are completely useless can be called trumpery. Your huge collection of animal salt and pepper shakers is nothing but trumpery.

Trumpery is typically fun to look at, but not very practical or worth very much. Many collectible objects are trumpery, like the dolls your grandma buys to display throughout her house or the cheap plastic jewelry your sister always spends her allowance on. Another kind of trumpery is equally useless or worthless speech, whether it's written or spoken. Trumpery comes from the Old French tromperie, with its root of tromper, "to deceive."

Definitions of trumpery

1. noun

   ornamental objects of no great value
   synonyms: falderol, folderal, frill, gimcrack, gimcrackery, nonsense

   type of:

   decoration, ornament, ornamentation

   something used to beautify
2. noun

   nonsensical talk or writing
   synonyms: applesauce, codswallop, folderol, rubbish, trash, tripe, wish-wash

   type of:

   drivel, garbage

   a worthless message