Newfangled
/ˌnjuːˈfæŋ.ɡəld/noun
Newly invented or fashionably modern, often with a hint of disapproval.
Did you know?In Middle English, *fang* could mean “to seize” or “take hold of,” so *newfangled* originally described something newly taken up or newly acquired, not just trendy.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
nīwe
“new”
Old English
OE
fang
“a seizure, grasp, or capture”
Middle English
ME
newfangled
“newly seized or newly taken up”
16th Century
English
newfangell
“fond of novelties; fastidious about new things”
Modern English
English
newfangled
“new and often undesirably modern”