tacky

¹

[ tak-ee ]

adjective

, tack·i·er, tack·i·est.

1. sticky to the touch; adhesive.

tacky

²

[ 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.

3. crass; cheaply vulgar; tasteless; crude.
4. gaudy; flashy; showy.

tacky

¹

/ ˈtækɪ /

adjective

1. slightly sticky or adhesive

   the varnish was still tacky

tacky

²

/ ˈtækɪ /

adjective

1. shabby or shoddy
2. ostentatious and vulgar
3. (of a person) dowdy; seedy

Derived Forms

• ˈtackiness, noun
• ˈtackily, adverb
• ˈtackiness, noun

Other Words From

• tacki·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of tacky¹

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

Origin of tacky²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of tacky¹

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

Origin of tacky²

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

Example Sentences

Tom Cruise’s motorcycle tour from the boulevards of Paris to the Hollywood Hills in the ceremony’s tacky finale only increased concern.

From Los Angeles Times

The former president’s supporters parked their souped-up pickup trucks covered in tacky decals and flags outside Carnegie Hall, blasting Kid Rock music and holding styrofoam busts poorly made up to look like Griffin.

From Salon

The Padres were tacky, but that was no excuse for Dodgers fans to be idiots.

From Los Angeles Times

“I was told I couldn’t model by every tacky editor and photographer in the world,” Moffitt told author Joel Lobenthal for his book “Radical Rags: Fashions of the Sixties.”

From Los Angeles Times

Gone are the canary-yellow gowns and tacky headpieces.

From New York Times

Related Words

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