TACKY Synonyms: 173 Similar and Opposite Words

tacky 1 of 2

adjective (1)

Definition of tacky

as in inappropriate

marked by an obvious lack of style or good taste it was tacky to wear sneakers to the wedding tacky plastic flowers

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in dilapidated

showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect a tacky old couch that needed new upholstery

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

tacky

2 of 2

adjective (2)

ˈta-kē

as in adhesive

tending to adhere to objects upon contact don't touch the walls while the fresh paint is still tacky

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 tacky

Adjective

Knead until smooth, soft, and slightly tacky, 6 to 8 minutes, adding more flour, 1 Tbsp. — Hali Bey Ramdene, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 Oct. 2026 What was created to be unique and delightfully tacky has become so boringly mainstream and expected. — Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026 But the stage that Springer cultivated was a gleeful one, a tacky spectacle of shock and depravity, an ungodly home for the freaks who knew just what to do when the lights came on. — Brady Brickner-Wood, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2026 Avoiding tacky DIYs helps maintain a polished, timeless look and prevents costly mistakes in home upgrades. — Timothy Dale, The Spruce, 26 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tacky

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tacky

Adjective

Parental Controls for Shared Devices Parents can restrict access to adult and inappropriate content, which helps when kids use the same phones, tablets, or laptops.

— StackCommerce Team, PC Magazine, 19 Oct. 2026
Val Chmerkovskiy has been suspended from Dancing with the Stars for one week after making an inappropriate comment toward one of the judges last week.

— Alejandra Gularte, Vulture, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of inappropriate

Adjective

Protests by high school students angry about dilapidated, understaffed schools have roiled France since mid-September.

— JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
High schoolers are expressing broad grievances over schools that are under-resourced, with dilapidated facilities and insufficient staff, notably in lower-income neighborhoods.

— ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of dilapidated

Adjective

Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.

— Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.

— Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026

Definition of neglected

Adjective

The spike in core CPI shows price pressures are broadening into other categories beyond energy, experts noted, a sign inflation remains sticky.

— Mary Cunningham, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
With inflation remaining sticky, the central bank may need to raise rates higher and keep them there for longer in 2027, said Christopher Rupkey, chief economist at Fwdbonds.

— Michelle Fox,Sean Conlon,Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of sticky

Adjective

At one unsuitable Gramercy apartment, Taylor encountered Cam Armand, a salesperson on the Kota team at Compass, and the Folwells enlisted his help.

— Joyce Cohen, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2026
In a setting designed to make exceptional yachts desirable, explaining why a particular vessel is unsuitable requires commercial discipline.

— Christoph Lymbersky, Forbes.com, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of unsuitable

Adjective

That’s already more standout performances than in the entire run of films, a reminder that working with trashy IP is a safer bet than attempting to embellish a classic.

— Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 13 Oct. 2026
And indeed, the show was teased with a trashy image—a picture of a New York City street lined with waste during the 1968 sanitation workers’ strike, that is.

— Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of trashy

Browse Nearby Words

tack (up)

tacky

tact

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Tacky.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tacky. Accessed 22 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of tacky

adjective (1)

adjective (2)

Example Sentences

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