Meanings
tacky1
adjectivetacky (comparative tackier, superlative tackiest)
comparative tackier · superlative tackiest
- Of a substance, slightly sticky.
This paint isn't dry yet; it's still a bit tacky.
tacky2
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveShabby, dowdy in one's appearance or dress.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
adjective(of a glutinous liquid such as paint) not completely dried and slightly sticky to the touch
Similar
adjectivetastelessly showy
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
tacky · adjective, noun
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.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian лепкав
- лепкав (lepkav)slightly sticky
Catalan xaró
- xarócolloquial: in bad taste
Chinese Mandarin 低劣, 低质
- 低劣 (dīliè)colloquial: of low quality
- 低质colloquial: of low quality
Czech lepkavý
- lepkavýslightly sticky
Danish let klæbende, billig
- let klæbendeslightly sticky
- billigcolloquial: of low quality
- smagløscolloquial: in bad taste
Dutch slecht, goedkoop
- slechtcolloquial: of low quality
- goedkoopcolloquial: of low quality
- smakelooscolloquial: in bad taste
Esperanto malbongusta, puca
- malbongustacolloquial: in bad taste
- pucacolloquial: in bad taste
- kiĉacolloquial: in bad taste
Finnish tahmea, tarttuva
- tahmeaslightly sticky
- tarttuvaslightly sticky
- halpacolloquial: of low quality
- tökeröcolloquial: of low quality
- mautoncolloquial: in bad taste
- tyylitöncolloquial: in bad taste
- näyttävägaudy, flashy, showy, garish
- nuhjuinendowdy, shabbily dressed
- nuhjuinendowdy, shabby (in one's appearance)
French collant, quétaine
- collantslightly sticky
- quétainecolloquial: in bad taste
German klebrig, billig
- klebrigslightly sticky
- billigcolloquial: of low quality
- minderwertigcolloquial: of low quality
- geschmackloscolloquial: in bad taste
- schäbigdowdy, shabbily dressed
- schäbigdowdy, shabby (in one's appearance)
Indonesian receh, receh
- recehcolloquial: of low quality
- recehcolloquial: in bad taste
Italian appiccicoso, appiccicaticcio
- appiccicososlightly sticky
- appiccicaticcioslightly sticky
- di cattivo gustocolloquial: in bad taste
- tamarrocolloquial: in bad taste
- pacchianocolloquial: in bad taste
- pacchianogaudy, flashy, showy, garish
- appariscentegaudy, flashy, showy, garish
Latvian lipīgs
- lipīgsslightly sticky
Norwegian Bokmål smakløs, harry
- smakløscolloquial: in bad taste
- harrycolloquial: in bad taste
Polish lepki, tandetny
- lepkislightly sticky
- tandetnycolloquial: of low quality
Portuguese pegajoso, grudento
- pegajososlightly sticky
- grudentoslightly sticky
- fajutocolloquial: of low quality
- de mau gostocolloquial: in bad taste
- bregacolloquial: in bad taste
- cafonacolloquial: in bad taste
- pirosocolloquial: in bad taste
- espalhafatosogaudy, flashy, showy, garish
- mirabolantegaudy, flashy, showy, garish
- cafonadowdy, shabbily dressed
- desleixadodowdy, shabby (in one's appearance)
Russian ли́пкий, аляпова́тый
- ли́пкий (lípkij)slightly sticky
- аляпова́тый (aljapovátyj)colloquial: of low quality
- низкопро́бный (nizkopróbnyj)colloquial: of low quality
- низкока́чественный (nizkokáčestvennyj)colloquial: of low quality
- дешёвый (dešóvyj)colloquial: of low quality
- безвку́сный (bezvkúsnyj)colloquial: in bad taste
- крича́щий (kričáščij)gaudy, flashy, showy, garish
- бро́ский (bróskij)gaudy, flashy, showy, garish
- мишу́рный (mišúrnyj)gaudy, flashy, showy, garish
- показно́й (pokaznój)gaudy, flashy, showy, garish
- бе́дно оде́тый (bédno odétyj)dowdy, shabbily dressed
- неэлега́нтный (neelegántnyj)dowdy, shabby (in one's appearance)
- неря́шливый (nerjášlivyj)dowdy, shabby (in one's appearance)
Spanish pegajoso, chopo
- pegajososlightly sticky
- chopocolloquial: of low quality
- cutrecolloquial: of low quality
- chafacolloquial: of low quality
- patitocolloquial: of low quality
- chopocolloquial: in bad taste
- nacocolloquial: in bad taste
- cursicolloquial: in bad taste
- cutrecolloquial: in bad taste
- horteracolloquial: in bad taste
- huachafocolloquial: in bad taste
- wachacolloquial: in bad taste
- flaitecolloquial: in bad taste
Tagalog baduy, baduy
- baduycolloquial: of low quality
- baduycolloquial: in bad taste
Turkish pejmürde
- pejmürdedowdy, shabbily dressed
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with tacky
bukkakeJackiewackyMackieMackeylackeyJackihackymackyrakibakkiebaccybrachysakésirtakisnackytackietakhiyakky
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
tacky. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tacky
MLA
“tacky.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tacky. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “tacky,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/tacky.
Source: tacky on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.