unwanted gifts
Thoughtless holiday haul
Unwanted gifts are presents received but not desired—wrong size, wrong taste, or simply unneeded.
The phrase captures the awkward social territory between gratitude and disappointment: The closet was full of unwanted gifts from well-meaning relatives.
Regifting, returning, and donating are common fates for unwanted gifts.
- regiftingPassing on received presents
- white elephantBurdensome, useless possession
- fruitcakeCandied, nutty holiday loaf
- returnsProfits from investments
- receiptWritten payment acknowledgment
closet · dusty · obligation · awkward · sweater · unwrap · disappointment · clutter · donation · thrift store · exchange · attic · tacky · useless · dust collector · box · tissue paper · guilt
- gift-givinggiving, present, donation, charity, sharing
- castoffsdiscards, rejects, throwaways, hand-me-downs, hand-me-down
- intrusionsintrusion, intrude, intruder, intruding, barging in