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

Related Words

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