tackier; tackiest
: somewhat sticky to the touch
tacky varnish
also
: characterized by tack : adhesive
tackier; tackiest
1
Examples of tacky in a Sentence
Adjective (1)
don't touch the walls while the fresh paint is still tacky
Adjective (2)
it was tacky to wear sneakers to the wedding
tacky plastic flowers
a tacky old couch that needed new upholstery
Recent Examples on the Web
Hannah Seo, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2025
It’s gotten bad enough that on Tuesday, Donald Trump had his top advisor and megadonor show off Tesla models for a tacky photo-op in the White House driveway, where the president told Americans to support the company and pledged to buy a Model S himself.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
Such catastrophic malfunctions aside, most of the time conifer resin slops over the gash and remains tacky for days afterward.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025
The texture here is like a traditional cream; not overly rich, nor notably silky or tacky.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tacky
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.
Adjective
Perhaps that’s why people around the world have had the impulse to gnaw on tacky materials—roots, resins, twigs, blubber, tar made by burning birch bark—for at least 8,000 years.
—Hannah Seo, The Atlantic, 29 Mar. 2025
It’s gotten bad enough that on Tuesday, Donald Trump had his top advisor and megadonor show off Tesla models for a tacky photo-op in the White House driveway, where the president told Americans to support the company and pledged to buy a Model S himself.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2025
Such catastrophic malfunctions aside, most of the time conifer resin slops over the gash and remains tacky for days afterward.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 27 Feb. 2025
The texture here is like a traditional cream; not overly rich, nor notably silky or tacky.
—Kiana Murden, Vogue, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tacky
Cite this Entry
“Tacky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tacky. Accessed 10 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tacky
2 of 2 adjective
tackier; tackiest
1
2
: marked by lack of style or good taste
a tacky outfit
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share