tinsel

UK: /ˈtɪns^əl/ US: /ˈtɪnsəl/ ,(tin′səl)

Inflections of 'tinsel' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

When both "l" and "ll" forms exist, spellings with a double "l" are correct, but rare, in US English, while those with a single "l" are not correct in UK English.

tinsels

v 3rd person singular

tinselling

v pres p (Mainly UK)

tinseling

v pres p (US)

tinselled

v past (Mainly UK)

tinseled

v past (US)

tinselled

v past p (Mainly UK)

tinseled

v past p (US)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

tin•sel /ˈtɪnsəl/   n. [uncountable]

1. Metallurgy a thin sheet or thread of glittering metal, used to produce a sparkling effect in threads and decorations:
   looping pieces of tinsel on the Christmas tree.

adj. 

2. consisting of tinsel.

tin•sel•like, adj. 
tin•sel•ly, adj. 

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tin•sel  (tin′səl), n., adj., v., -seled, -sel•ing or (esp. Brit.) -selled, -sel•ling. 
n. 

1. Metallurgy a glittering metallic substance, as copper or brass, in thin sheets, used in pieces, strips, threads, etc., to produce a sparkling effect cheaply.
2. Textiles a metallic yarn, usually wrapped around a core yarn of silk, rayon, or cotton, for weaving brocade or lamé.
3. anything showy or attractive with little or no real worth;
   showy pretense:
   The actress was tired of the fantasy and tinsel of her life.
4. [Obs.] a fabric, formerly in use, of silk or wool interwoven with threads of gold, silver, or, later, copper.

adj. 

5. consisting of or containing tinsel.
6. showy;
   gaudy;
   tawdry.

v.t. 

7. to adorn with tinsel.
8. to adorn with anything glittering.
9. to make showy or gaudy.

• Vulgar Latin *stincilla, metathetic variant of Latin scintilla scintilla; first used attributively in phrases tinsel satin, tinsel cloth
• Middle French estincelle (Old French estincele) a spark, flash
• by aphesis 1495–1505

tin′sel•like′, adj. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tinsel / ˈtɪnsəl/ noun

1. a decoration consisting of a piece of string with thin strips of metal foil attached along its length
2. a yarn or fabric interwoven with strands of glittering thread
3. anything cheap, showy, and gaudy

verb ( -sels, -selling, -selled) ( -sels, -seling, -seled)(transitive)

1. to decorate with or as if with tinsel: snow tinsels the trees
2. to give a gaudy appearance to

adjective

1. made of or decorated with tinsel
2. showily but cheaply attractive; gaudy

Etymology: 16th Century: from Old French estincele a spark, from Latin scintilla; compare stencil

ˈtinsel-ˌlike adjective

ˈtinselly adjective