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tacky

tacky

68 4.3
Showy in a cheap way that looks bad
  • adjective
  • /ˈtæki/
  • Informal
translation icon : de mal gusto
  • The guys have 90 M.P.H. haircuts, tacky wide-collared shirts, and massive amounts of jewelry on their necks.
  • looks tacky
  • so tacky
  • too tacky

I don't care if it's considered tacky, that's how I like it.

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Examples

  • The Corvette pulls up in front of a tacky one-story house in the hills of Studio City.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • We fear that the cheapest option will be tacky and will look a bit mean.

  • But some people like that, some people love tacky, some people love it.

  • But if you look, it's like super dark and really, really tacky as well.

  • Talk about a tacky suit!

  • "I've been meaning to try this place, but it looks so tacky from the outside."

    Fiction book (1994)
  • Would it be tacky to buy her second dress from a thrift shop?

    Fiction book (1995)
  • Mike sits by himself by our cottage, in one of the tacky lawn chairs, reading a magazine.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • I walked up Tottenham Court Road, past all the tacky electronics stores, to Regent's Park.

    Fiction book (1995)
  • The decorations for the party were so tacky that they embarrassed all the guests.

Synonyms

flashy
vstacky
69 4.1

Very bright or showy in a way that attracts attention

is tastelessly attention-seeking rather than simply extravagant
cheesy
vstacky
  • Informal
56 4.6

Feels too sentimental and silly, like a movie or card

is bluntly cheap and tasteless rather than only sentimental or silly
loud
vstacky
51 1.8

Too bright and showy in a way that looks bad

is cheap and tasteless in style rather than solely colour intensity
cheap
vstacky
39 5.6

Very showy with bright colors or too many decorations

is focused on tasteless attraction rather than merely being inexpensive
trashy
vstacky
  • Informal
37 3.7

Cheap and low quality that looks ugly or not stylish

is flashy and lacking good taste rather than just poor quality
tawdry
vstacky
24 7.8

A thing that looks showy but is cheap and low quality

is showy and cheap in taste rather than only low value
gaudy
vstacky
22 5.5

Very bright and showy in a way that looks bad

is tastelessly attention-grabbing rather than merely very bright
garish
vstacky
16 6.7

Very bright and showy in a way that hurts the eyes

is cheap and showy in a way that insults good taste
glitzy
vstacky
13 4.8

A bright, showy look that tries to impress people

leans more toward cheap tastelessness than polished superficial glamour
kitschy
vstacky
8 8.2

Too sentimental or brightly decorated and not in good taste

is crude and cheap in taste rather than merely overly sentimental
showy
vstacky
8 3.2

Bright or fancy in a way that draws attention

is specifically cheap and tasteless in appearance rather than just noticeable
brassy
vstacky
  • Offensive
5 7.2

Bold and showy in a way people may find rude

is cruder and cheap in taste rather than merely bold or shameless
flash
vstacky
  • UK
3 7.4

Showy in a way meant to attract attention

is more narrowly cheap and vulgar in taste than general attention seeking
naff
vstacky
  • Slang
2 9.9

Not stylish and looking cheap or embarrassing

implies cheap, tasteless display rather than only lack of fashion
schlocky
vstacky
  • Informal
1 9.1

A thing that is cheap and badly made and shows little taste

is more about ostentatious bad taste than only poor manufacture
meretricious
vstacky
  • Formal
1 9.9

Attractive in a bright, showy way but not honest or valuable

is blatantly tasteless and cheap rather than mainly deceptive
pikey
vstacky
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Cheap and of poor quality, often considered offensive

focuses on tasteless showiness rather than just poor condition or offence
tatty
vstacky
  • UK
7.4

Showy and cheap in a way that looks low quality

is showy in a cheap, tasteless way rather than merely worn
gimcrack
vstacky
  • Archaic
9.9

Showy but cheaply made and worth little

is attention-seeking and tasteless rather than simply poorly constructed
naf
vstacky
  • Slang
9.9

Not fashionable and showing bad taste

is about cheap, tasteless appearance rather than just being unfashionable

Antonyms

165 3.3

Having an attractive, stylish look that shows good taste

41 3.9

Showing good style and polite manners

Compounds

too tacky
  • Informal
1 6.9

A style that is too bright or cheap and looks unpleasant

How Tacky

vulgar
  • Offensive
22 6.5
gaudy
22 5.5
tacky
  • Informal
68 4.3
cheap
39 5.6

Surface Forms

tacky positive
tackier comparative
tackiest superlative

Morphology

tacky = tack (semi-transparent) = tack + y

The form 'tack' + '-y' is clear, but the evaluative meaning 'showy/cheap' is a metaphorical extension from 'sticky' and may not be predictable to learners.

Etymology

Tacky meaning 'showy in a cheap way' comes from an older sense of tack meaning 'to stick' or 'sticky'. Think of cheap decorations stuck on with tape that look stuck-on and fake, so we call them 'tacky' to say they are in bad taste.