ticky-tacky

1 of 2

noun

variants or less commonly ticky-tack
plural ticky-tackies also ticky-tacks
: sleazy or shoddy material used especially in the construction of look-alike tract houses
also : something built of ticky-tacky

ticky-tacky

2 of 2

adjective

variants or less commonly ticky-tack
1
: of an uninspired or monotonous sameness
2
3
: built of ticky-tacky

Examples of ticky-tacky in a Sentence

Adjective her house is full of ticky-tacky figurines
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Noun
Lisa Jones, Michol Murray and Pualani Spurlock-Welsh whistled the players for a total of 37 — many incredibly ticky-tacky — fouls. Ann Killion, San Francisco Chronicle, 2 Apr. 2023

Word History

Etymology

Noun

reduplication of tacky

First Known Use

Noun

1962, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1964, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of ticky-tacky was in 1962

Dictionary Entries Near ticky-tacky

Cite this Entry

“Ticky-tacky.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ticky-tacky. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!