tacky

¹ American  

[tak-ee] / ˈtæk i /

adjective

tackier, tackiest

1. sticky to the touch; adhesive.

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tacky ² American  

[tak-ee] / ˈtæk i /

adjective

tackier, tackiest

1. not tasteful or fashionable; dowdy.

2. shabby in appearance; shoddy.

   a tacky, jerry-built housing development.

3. crass; cheaply vulgar; tasteless; crude.

4. gaudy; flashy; showy.

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tacky ¹ British  

/ ˈtækɪ /

adjective

1. shabby or shoddy

2. ostentatious and vulgar

3. (of a person) dowdy; seedy

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tacky ² British  

/ ˈtækɪ /

adjective

1. slightly sticky or adhesive

   the varnish was still tacky

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Other Word Forms

• tackily adverb
• tackiness noun

Etymology

Origin of tacky¹

First recorded in 1780–90; tack ¹ + -y ¹

Origin of tacky²

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

Example Sentences

"It was a tacky wicket as it was under cover for a while. After losing a few wickets, it was tough to get back into the game."

From Barron's

But trot's glory days appeared to be well and truly over, with many young people viewing the genre as tacky and old-fashioned.

From BBC

Chinese wellness practices, once associated with the tacky and geriatric, have suddenly found themselves in vogue, largely among Americans.

From BBC

Some fashion cognoscenti questioned the blue lenses, saying the choice was garish and tacky.

From The Wall Street Journal

The smartphone, long considered the preserve of the youth, was suddenly recast as a tacky trademark of Young 40s.

From BBC

Related Words

• dingy
• faded
• gaudy
• messy
• run down
• seedy
• shabby
• sleazy
• threadbare
• vulgar