tinsel

IPA: tˈɪnsʌɫ

(obsolete) A shining fabric used for ornamental purposes.
A silk or wool fabric with gold or silver thread woven into it; brocade.
A very thin, gauzelike cloth with gold or silver (or, later, copper) thread woven into it, or overlaid with thin metal plates.
(by extension)
A thin, shiny foil for ornamental purposes which is of a material made of metal or resembling metal; especially, narrow glittering strips of such a material, often strung on to thread, and traditionally at Christmastime draped on Christmas trees, hung from balustrades or ceilings, or wrapped around objects as a decoration.
(figuratively) Anything shining and gaudy; especially something superficially shiny and showy, or having a false lustre, and more pretty than valuable.
(obsolete) Damage, detriment; loss.
(law, archaic) Deprivation; forfeiture.

To adorn (something) with tinsel.
(also figuratively) To ornament (fabric, etc.) by weaving into it thread of gold, silver, or some other shiny material.
(by extension) To deck out (a place or something) with showy but cheap ornaments; to make gaudy.
(figuratively) To give (something) a false or superficial attractiveness.
(transitive, Scotland, obsolete, rare) To cause (someone) damage or loss; also, to impose a fine on (someone); to mulct.

(obsolete) Of fabric: ornamented by being woven with gold or silver thread, or overlaid with thin metal plates; brocaded.
(by extension)
(obsolete) Glittering.
(figuratively) Apparently beautiful and costly but having little value; superficially attractive; gaudy, showy, tawdry.

Examples of "tinsel" in Sentences

The tinsel paper dropped by bombers.
I call such talk blarney, hype, and tinsel.
The nation's capitol was moved to tinsel town.
I think eventually, someone stuck some tinsel on, but...
Beneath all the tinsel and glamour it is a lot of very hard work.
Tinsel was originally a metallic garland for Christmas decoration.
Dionysius describes his composition as tinselled, ignoble and effeminate.
They are distinguished by an anterior tinsel flagellum on their zoospores.
If it does not get transformed into devotion, such knowledge is useless tinsel.
I love every mangy, threadbare scrap of tinsel, every broken little festive bulb, with all my heart.