Word
tacky
US/ˈtæki/
UK/tˈæki/
Definition
adj. cheap, low quality, or showing bad taste. You use this to describe things that look a bit ugly or embarrassing because they are not elegant.
adj. showing a lack of style or good taste; cheaply made or gaudy. Often used to describe decorations, clothing, or behavior that is considered socially inferior or aesthetically unrefined.
Examples
“The plastic gold frames look a bit tacky.”
“She thought the bright neon signs and cheap souvenirs made the historic street look tacky.”
“While some found the over-the-top wedding decorations charming, others dismissed the entire event as a tacky display of wealth without any real elegance.”
Examples
simple
“The plastic gold frames look a bit tacky.”
contextual
“She thought the bright neon signs and cheap souvenirs made the historic street look tacky.”
complex
“While some found the over-the-top wedding decorations charming, others dismissed the entire event as a tacky display of wealth without any real elegance.”
Usage
Often used predicatively after linking verbs like 'look', 'feel', or 'seem'.
Etymology
From tack + -y.
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/tacky