gadget
noun
Simple meaning
Any device or machine.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
gajuhtSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
ˈɡædʒət
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Any device or machine, especially one whose name cannot be recalled, often either clever or complicated.
informal
Any consumer electronics product.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
Aura for this meaning
This meaning: Any device or machine, especially one whose name cannot be recalled, often either clever or complicated.
Used this way, gadget is a reasonably familiar word with a mildly favourable edge. It usually sounds natural in a wide range of settings.
- Emotional tone
- Slightly positive
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Confusing or complicated
- Usage feel
- Neutral and straightforward
Nearby words
- gizmo , more casual, better suited to speech than writing
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
More ways to use gadget
- “He bought a new kitchen gadget that slices vegetables perfectly.”
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More about this wordSynonyms, forms, origin
Synonyms
Sense: any device or machine
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Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.