bells and whistles

noun

Extra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.

“The bells and whistles do not impress me.”

Similar
gadgetrytrivialitiesfrills and furbelows
Opposite
plainno-frillsnormalordinarysimple
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Meanings

nounbells and whistles pl (plural only)
  1. idiomaticpluralplural onlyExtra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.

    The bells and whistles do not impress me.

    3 more examples

    His new car has all the bells and whistles, but it doesn't move through traffic jams any faster.

    I need a new phone, but I don’t want all those fancy bells and whistles on it!

    Charles’s coronation was a full-color spectacle, showing off the peacocked glory of British tradition and the bells and whistles of 21st-century TV. Britain brought out its finest garments, its finest relics, its finest rain.

    2023 May 6, James Poniewozik, “Charles III Was Crowned King. But Can He Ever Be the Star?”, in The New York Times

    Synonyms: gadgetry, trivialities, frills and furbelows · Antonyms: plain, no-frills, normal, ordinary, simple, unadorned

Synonyms & antonyms

nounExtra features added for show rather than function; fancy additions or features.

Similar
gadgetrytrivialitiesfrills and furbelows
Opposite
plainno-frillsnormalordinarysimpleunadorned

Translations

Bulgarian финтифлюшки
  • финтифлюшки (fintifljuški)extra features added for show rather than function
Chinese Mandarin 花哨的附加功能
  • 花哨的附加功能 (huāshao de fùjiā gōngnéng)extra features added for show rather than function
Dutch toeters en bellen
  • toeters en bellenextra features added for show rather than function
Finnish hienoudet
  • hienoudetextra features added for show rather than function
French fioritures, futilités
  • fiorituresextra features added for show rather than function
  • futilitésextra features added for show rather than function
  • frivolitésextra features added for show rather than function
  • tralalaextra features added for show rather than function
  • fanfrelucheextra features added for show rather than function
German Schnickschnack, Klimbim
  • Schnickschnackextra features added for show rather than function
  • Klimbimextra features added for show rather than function
  • Zierratextra features added for show rather than function
Hebrew רַעַשׁ וְצִלְצוּלִים
  • רַעַשׁ וְצִלְצוּלִים (rá'ash v'tsiltsulím)extra features added for show rather than function
Italian facezia riempitiva
  • facezia riempitivaextra features added for show rather than function
Polish wodotryski, bajery
  • wodotryskiextra features added for show rather than function
  • bajeryextra features added for show rather than function
Russian прибамбасы, навороты
  • прибамбасы (pribambasy)extra features added for show rather than function
  • навороты (navoroty)extra features added for show rather than function
  • свистелки и перделки (svistelki i perdelki)extra features added for show rather than function
Spanish ringorrangos, ful extras
  • ringorrangosextra features added for show rather than function
  • ful extrasextra features added for show rather than function
  • ful equipoextra features added for show rather than function
  • lujos y accesoriosextra features added for show rather than function
Cite this entry
APA

bells and whistles. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bells%20and%20whistles

MLA

“bells and whistles.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bells%20and%20whistles. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “bells and whistles,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/bells%20and%20whistles.

Source: bells and whistles on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.