tacky

1
[ tak-ee ]
See synonyms for tacky on Thesaurus.com
adjective,tack·i·er, tack·i·est.
  1. sticky to the touch; adhesive.

Origin of tacky

1
First recorded in 1780–90; tack1 + -y1

Other words from tacky

  • tack·i·ness, noun

Words Nearby tacky

Other definitions for tacky (2 of 2)

tacky2
[ tak-ee ]

adjective,tack·i·er, tack·i·est.
  1. not tasteful or fashionable; dowdy.

  2. shabby in appearance; shoddy: a tacky, jerry-built housing development.

  1. crass; cheaply vulgar; tasteless; crude.

  2. gaudy; flashy; showy.

Origin of tacky

2
1880–85, Americanism; apparently identical with earlier tack(e)y small horse, pony, poor farmer; of obscure origin

Other words from tacky

  • tack·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use tacky in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for tacky (1 of 2)

tacky1

tackey

/ (ˈtækɪ) /


adjectivetackier or tackiest
  1. slightly sticky or adhesive: the varnish was still tacky

Origin of tacky

1
C18: from tack 1 (in the sense: stickiness)

Derived forms of tacky

  • tackily, adverb
  • tackiness, noun

British Dictionary definitions for tacky (2 of 2)

tacky2

/ (ˈtækɪ) /


adjectivetackier or tackiest informal
  1. shabby or shoddy

  2. ostentatious and vulgar

  1. US (of a person) dowdy; seedy

Origin of tacky

2
C19: from dialect tacky an inferior horse, of unknown origin

Derived forms of tacky

  • tackiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012