tacky
English · Thesaurus
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
tacky¹
- /ˈtæki/
Rhymes with -æki
Where it comes from
From tack + -y.
adjective tackier · tackiest
- Of a substance, slightly sticky. This paint isn't dry yet; it's still a bit tacky.
tacky²
- /ˈtæki/
Rhymes with -æki
Where it comes from
Sense “in poor taste” from 1888, from earlier sense meaning shabby or seedy. Also see tackey (“neglected horse”), Southern US colloquialism from 1800s, later extended to people.
adjective tackier · tackiest
- Of low quality. That market stall sells all sorts of tacky ornaments.
- In poor taste. That was a tacky thing to say.
- Gaudy or flashy. Steve Randle was seventeen, tall and lean, with thick greasy hair he kept combed in complicated swirls. He was tacky, smart, and Soda's best buddy since grade school.
-
Shabby, dowdy in one's appearance or dress.
Similar: dowdy
noun tackies
- Alternative form of tackey
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: trashy, tawdry, gimcrack, meretricious, garish, gaudy, loud, flashy, tasteless, flash, wet, cheap, brassy, tatty, trash, crummy
Translations
Every language
adj slightly sticky
| Español | pegajoso |
|---|---|
| Português | pegajoso, grudento |
| Français | collant |
| Deutsch | klebrig |
| Italiano | appiccicoso, appiccicaticcio |
| Русский | ли́пкий lípkij |
adj colloquial: of low quality
| Español | chopo, cutre, chafa, patito |
|---|---|
| 中文 | 低劣 dīliè, 低质 |
| Português | fajuto |
| Deutsch | billig, minderwertig |
| Русский | аляпова́тый aljapovátyj, низкопро́бный nizkopróbnyj, низкока́чественный nizkokáčestvennyj, дешёвый dešóvyj |
adj colloquial: in bad taste
| Español | chopo, naco, cursi, cutre, hortera, huachafo |
|---|---|
| Português | de mau gosto, brega, cafona, piroso |
| Français | quétaine |
| Deutsch | geschmacklos |
| Italiano | di cattivo gusto, tamarro, pacchiano |
| Русский | безвку́сный bezvkúsnyj |
adj gaudy, flashy, showy, garish
| Español | naco, ordinario, hortera |
|---|---|
| Português | espalhafatoso, mirabolante |
| Italiano | pacchiano, appariscente |
| Русский | крича́щий kričáščij, бро́ский bróskij, мишу́рный mišúrnyj, показно́й pokaznój |
adj dowdy, shabbily dressed
| Português | cafona |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | schäbig |
| Русский | бе́дно оде́тый bédno odétyj |
adj dowdy, shabby (in one's appearance)
| Português | desleixado |
|---|---|
| Deutsch | schäbig |
| Русский | неэлега́нтный neelegántnyj, неря́шливый nerjášlivyj |
Talk about this word "tacky." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tacky. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tacky. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tacky "tacky." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tacky.Cite this
@misc{tacky_2026,
title = {tacky},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tacky},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
