tacky

1 of 2

adjective (1)

tackier; tackiest
: somewhat sticky to the touch
tacky varnish
also : characterized by tack : adhesive

tacky

2 of 2

adjective (2)

tackier; tackiest
1
: not having or exhibiting good taste: such as
a
: marked by cheap showiness : gaudy
a tacky publicity stunt
a tacky outfit
b
: marked by lack of style : dowdy
2
a
: characterized by lack of good breeding
couldn't run around downtown … in a bikini, which was tackyCyra McFadden
b
: shabby, seedy
a tacky town whose citrus groves were blighted by smokeBryce Nelson

Examples of tacky in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Bravo joins in on calling the aesthetic tacky and cheap and dwells on the moral impurities the aesthetic resembles. Aneliza Ruiz, Los Angeles Times, 27 Feb. 2024 This product is light but just tacky enough to be effective. Barbara Bellesi Zito, Peoplemag, 16 Oct. 2023 Ignore the tacky title; the majority of the people Motz writes about are neither killers nor driven by an excess of love. Alexandra Schwartz, The New Yorker, 5 Feb. 2024 Jeff is a buffoon, always setting off his shrill, tacky wife Susie (Susie Essman). TIME, 2 Feb. 2024 Kitsch is a slang word with German origin that's typically used to describe something viewed as gaudy or tacky due to being overly eccentric or sentimental. Cori Sears, Better Homes & Gardens, 19 Jan. 2024 Most of the tacky T-shirt and souvenir stores have moved on to other sectors of town. Sacramento Bee, 30 Jan. 2024 Too little water and the resulting foam has a gluey, tacky texture that’s not pleasant to rub against your face. Justin Fenner, Robb Report, 23 Jan. 2024 In the film a band called Black Roses tease their hair high, play tacky instruments poorly, and tour in a fleet of Lamborghinis. Stephen Deusner, SPIN, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tacky.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Adjective (1)

tack entry 2

Adjective (2)

tacky a low-class person

First Known Use

Adjective (1)

1788, in the meaning defined above

Adjective (2)

1862, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of tacky was in 1788

Dictionary Entries Near tacky

Cite this Entry

“Tacky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tacky. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

tacky

1 of 2 adjective
tackier; tackiest
: somewhat sticky to the touch
tacky varnish

tacky

2 of 2 adjective
tackier; tackiest
1
2
: marked by lack of style or good taste
a tacky outfit

More from Merriam-Webster on tacky

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!