as in terrible
marked by low quality and unbecoming appearance
We tolerate the neighbors' tawdry Christmas display during the holidays, but by January we're about sick of it.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in trumpery
Related Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tawdry
Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 June 2025
The tawdry soap is the favorite show consumed by the titular trash-TV-loving security robot, Murderbot (Alexander Skarsgård).
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Though the central bank’s partisans will claim in breathy tones that the Fed’s thinking and decisions aren’t compromised by the tawdry politics that so many associate with Washington, the reality is quite different.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
For every stodgy conservator who might consider the guitar a tawdry, lowbrow diversion, there’s a cultural critic who dismisses it as an object of boomer nostalgia, about as musically relevant in this post-rockist era as the harpsichord.
—Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tawdry
Noun
The film was a hit on 42nd Street, possessing a certain tawdry entertainment value.
—Katie Rife, IndieWire, 11 June 2025
The tawdry soap is the favorite show consumed by the titular trash-TV-loving security robot, Murderbot (Alexander Skarsgård).
—Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 24 May 2025
Though the central bank’s partisans will claim in breathy tones that the Fed’s thinking and decisions aren’t compromised by the tawdry politics that so many associate with Washington, the reality is quite different.
—John Tamny, Forbes.com, 21 May 2025
For every stodgy conservator who might consider the guitar a tawdry, lowbrow diversion, there’s a cultural critic who dismisses it as an object of boomer nostalgia, about as musically relevant in this post-rockist era as the harpsichord.
—Nick Paumgarten, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for tawdry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tawdry
Adjective
-
Friday was particularly unsettling as terrible jobs data slammed the market and triggered President Donald Trump .—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
2 Aug. 2025
-
My heart goes out to all of the Jewish children, grandchildren and future great-grandchildren who must ultimately bear the brunt of the terrible additional worldwide antisemitism caused directly by the horrific actions of the Israeli government over the past two years.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
2 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
What was the strategic benefit to the US of all this geopolitical trumpery?—
Peter Bergen,
CNN,
28 May 2022
-
So will the border continue to vanish in the face of nativist backlash and a trumpery, gimcrack wall?—
Felipe Fernández-Armesto,
WSJ,
25 June 2018
Adjective
-
However, the quality of the product is sometimes, notably, poorer.—
Julia Gomez,
USA Today,
4 Aug. 2025
-
In the dining room of The Brother Benno Center, a refuge for the area’s poor and homeless, more than 100 people gathered recently to celebrate the 90th birthday of the Rev. Charles Wright, who has been a spiritual guide there for four decades.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
For now, this is DeVries on the job: intent but measured, teeth ready to clamp down on his tongue, establishing standards while also very much trying to make sure his team isn’t miserable from the beginning.—
Brian Hamilton,
New York Times,
11 July 2025
-
His Panthers opened the season with two miserable losses, complete with booing from fans in the home opener, and the 23-year-old soon became the first quarterback selected No. 1 overall in the Super Bowl era to be benched for non-injury reasons.—
Eric Jackson,
Sportico.com,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
None of the 95 rooms at this palatial property, which first opened in the 1860s, is the same, and the decor is an eccentric mishmash that combines every era since then, from Victorian fripperies to sinuously streamlined Art Nouveau.—
Laura Dannen Redman,
Robb Report,
28 July 2025
-
In tonight’s episode, Aurora has more to worry about than mere frippery.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
30 June 2025
Adjective
-
But today that moral arc is as twisted as a gnarled, rotten root, and God Bless America has been replaced by the mournful dirge of Taps.—
Marci Alborghetti,
Hartford Courant,
3 July 2025
-
The odor comes from a toxic gas that’s colorless and smells like rotten eggs.—
Tammy Murga,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
5 July 2025
Noun
-
The painter also appears to portray Henry as a childlike figure absurdly overdressed in regal finery.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
28 June 2025
-
The new dining rooms are decorated in Western finery.—
Bud Kennedy,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
18 June 2025
Adjective
-
Xfinity offers some of the cheapest plans available in Nashville, but prices may go up once the promotional period ends.—
Kara McGinley,
USA Today,
1 Aug. 2025
-
Under 25% Source: Zillow These cities became incredibly overheated during the pandemic, when out-of-state remote workers moved in to find cheaper homes, a more affordable cost of living, and a good quality of life.—
Giulia Carbonaro,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tawdry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tawdry. Accessed 9 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share