kintsugi

kin·tsu·gi
K5I1N1T1S1U1G2I1
/kɪntˈsuːɡi/

noun

The Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold or similar material, highlighting the cracks instead of disguising them.

Similar
kintsukuroi
Scrabble 13
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Meanings

nounkintsugi (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold or similar material, highlighting the cracks instead of disguising them.

    In rehearsals here the director, Oliver Butler, has brought up kintsugi, the Japanese art of repairing broken objects with powdered gold or other colors to accentuate the cracks.

    2015 September 16, Patrick Healy, “For Christopher Shinn, Confronting Death Brings a New Play to Life”, in The New York Times

    Synonyms: kintsukuroi

Synonyms & antonyms

nounThe Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with lacquer dusted or mixed with powdered gold or similar material, highlighting the cracks instead of disguising them.

Similar
kintsukuroi
Also see
kintsukuroi

Origin

Unadapted borrowing from Japanese 金継ぎ (kintsugi, literally “golden repair, golden joinery”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans kintsoegi
  • kintsoegithe art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
Chinese Cantonese 金繼 /金继, 金継
  • 金繼 /金继the art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
  • 金継 (gam¹ gai³)the art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
Chinese Mandarin 金繼 /金继, 金継
  • 金繼 /金继the art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
  • 金継 (jīnjì)the art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
French kintsugi, kintsukuroi
  • kintsugithe art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
  • kintsukuroithe art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
Japanese 金継ぎ, 金繕い
  • 金継ぎ (kintsugi)the art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
  • 金繕い (kintsukuroi)the art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
Polish kintsugi
  • kintsugithe art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
Spanish kintsugi
  • kintsugithe art of repairing broken pottery with gold-mixed laquer
Cite this entry
APA

kintsugi. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kintsugi

MLA

“kintsugi.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kintsugi. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kintsugi,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kintsugi.

Source: kintsugi on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.