glitz
UK[ɡlɪts]US[ɡlɪts]
n
The exciting but superficial quality associated with show business, glamour, or wealth.
Etymology
'Glitz' is a modern English invention, emerging in the 1960s as a back-formation from the slightly earlier adjective 'glitzy'. Its creation is a blend, likely influenced by the words 'glitter' and 'ritzy' (meaning stylish or luxurious, from the Ritz hotels). While 'glitter' provides the core idea of sparkling superficiality, 'ritzy' contributes the connotation of ostentatious wealth and glamour. This etymological blend perfectly captures the word's meaning: the showy, attractive, but often shallow brilliance associated with entertainment and opulence.
Analysis
The word is a simplex loanword. It is a back-formation from the adjective 'glitzy', which itself is a mid-20th century American English coinage.
Examples
The awards ceremony was full of glamour and glitz.
Behind the glitz of the casino, there was a more somber reality.
The magazine focused on the glitz of celebrity lifestyles rather than substantive issues.