tacky

UK: /ˈtæki/ US: /ˈtæki/ ,(tak′ē)

Inflections of 'tacky' (adj):

tackier

adj comparative

tackiest

adj superlative

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

tack•y¹ /ˈtæki/   adj., -i•er, -i•est. 

1. Building sticky to the touch;
   adhesive:
   a tacky surface.

tack•i•ness, n. [uncountable]

tack•y² /ˈtæki/   adj., -i•er, -i•est. 

1. not tasteful or fashionable;
   dowdy:
   a tacky outfit.
2. in poor taste;
   vulgar;
   improper:
   tacky jokes.
3. of poor quality;
   shoddy:
   a tacky car.
4. shabby;
   seedy:
   a tacky old motel.

tack•i•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

tack•y¹  (tak′ē), adj., tack•i•er, tack•i•est. 

1. sticky to the touch;
   adhesive.

• tack¹ + -y¹ 1780–90

tack′i•ness, n. 

tack•y²  (tak′ē), adj., 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.

• 1880–85, American; apparently identical with earlier tack(e)y small horse, pony, poor farmer; of obscure origin, originally

tack′i•ness, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tacky, tackey / ˈtækɪ/ adjective (tackier, tackiest)

1. slightly sticky or adhesive

Etymology: 18th Century: from tack¹ (in the sense: stickiness)

ˈtackiness noun

tacky / ˈtækɪ/ adjective (tackier, tackiest)

shabby or shoddy

ostentatious and vulgar

(of a person) dowdy; seedy

Etymology: 19th Century: from dialect tacky an inferior horse, of unknown origin

ˈtackiness noun