English Explanatory Dictionary

tawdry

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. Tawdry lace.
  2. Anything gaudy and cheap; pretentious finery.
adj
  1. Of clothing, appearance, etc., cheap and gaudy; showy.
  2. Of a character, behavior, or situation, etc., unseemly, base, mean-spirited, shameful.

Pronunciation

/ˈtɔːdɹi/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-tawdry.wav /ˈtɔ.dɹi/ /ˈtɑ.dɹi/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Naomi Persephone Amethyst (NaomiAmethyst)-tawdry.wav

Word forms

tawdry tawdries tawdrier tawdriest

Etymology

Shortened from tawdry lace; originally a corruption and rebracketing of Saint Audrey lace (from Old English Æðelþrȳð). The lace necklaces sold to pilgrims to Saint Audrey fell out of fashion in the 17th century, and so tawdry was reinterpreted as meaning “cheap” or “vulgar”.

Synonyms

cheapie gaud tack cheapo tawdry ticky-tack bedizened blatant blingish brash campy catchpenny chichi chintzy corny crass crude flashy flaunting florid flossy froufrou garish gauche gaudy gay glaring gross gussied up hideous kitsch kitschy loud meretricious naff obtrusive ostentatious pizazzy pretentious ritzy raffish schlocky showy snazzy splendiferous tacky tasteless tinselly too much trinkety unbecoming untasteful vain whorish zesty sordid

Derived words

tawdrily tawdriness
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