newfangled
adjective
Did you know?
Newfangled is actually a pretty old word. It dates all the way back to the 15th century, and likely developed from the even older adjective newfangle, which probably derives from a combination of the Middle English newe, meaning new, and the Old English fangol, from a verb meaning "to take." In its earliest documented uses, newfangled described a person who was fond of new things, fashions, or ideas. Current usage indicates that newfangled is used—sometimes deprecatingly—to describe anything that is new, hip, hot, or happening, while other times it is used with irony for something—such as rock music—that might have been new at one time but is hardly new anymore.
Synonyms
Examples of newfangled in a Sentence
Clive Thompson, WIRED, 29 July 2024
Greta Van Fleet Mohegan Sun Arena, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd., Uncasville
The newfangled band that acts like a classic rock one, Greta Van Fleet, brings its fancy shirts and busy riffs to Mohegan Sun Arena with The Beaches opening the Aug. 2 show at 7:30 p.m. $112.35-$302.65.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 27 July 2024
Since no one was willing to bet on a newfangled technology on what was then the American frontier, the railroad remained a dream until it was rescued by U.S. Sen. Stephen Douglas in 1849, who got a federal land grant for a railroad, the first ever.
—Andrew Johnston, Chicago Tribune, 11 July 2024
Another person sported a newfangled flying-ace helmet with oversized goggles and plastic tubes cascading down the back, giving the effect of surreal tresses.
—Jennifer Weil, WWD, 3 Sep. 2019
See all Example Sentences for newfangled 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'newfangled.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Newfangled.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/newfangled. Accessed 18 Aug. 2024.
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newfangled
adjective
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