adj · noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
/ˈtæki/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -æki
CMU ARPABET:T AE1 K IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adj
Meaning 1
Of a substance, slightly sticky.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
(of a glutinous liquid such as paint) not completely dried and slightly sticky to the touch
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
tacky varnish
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From tack + -y.
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.
Across languages
Translations
90 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Bulgarian:
лепкав
(lepkav)
— slightly sticky
Czech:
lepkavý
— slightly sticky
Danish:
let klæbende
— slightly sticky
Finnish:
tahmea
— slightly sticky
Finnish:
tarttuva
— slightly sticky
French:
collant
— slightly sticky
German:
klebrig
— slightly sticky
Italian:
appiccicoso
— slightly sticky
Italian:
appiccicaticcio
— slightly sticky
Latvian:
lipīgs
— slightly sticky
Polish:
lepki
— slightly sticky
Portuguese:
pegajoso
— slightly sticky
Portuguese:
grudento
— slightly sticky
Russian:
ли́пкий
(lípkij)
— slightly sticky
Spanish:
pegajoso
— slightly sticky
Chinese Mandarin:
低劣
(dīliè)
— colloquial: of low quality
Chinese Mandarin:
低质
— colloquial: of low quality
Danish:
billig
— colloquial: of low quality
Dutch:
slecht
— colloquial: of low quality
Dutch:
goedkoop
— colloquial: of low quality
Finnish:
halpa
— colloquial: of low quality
Finnish:
tökerö
— colloquial: of low quality
German:
billig
— colloquial: of low quality
German:
minderwertig
— colloquial: of low quality
Indonesian:
receh
— colloquial: of low quality
Polish:
tandetny
— colloquial: of low quality
Portuguese:
fajuto
— colloquial: of low quality
Russian:
аляпова́тый
(aljapovátyj)
— colloquial: of low quality
Russian:
низкопро́бный
(nizkopróbnyj)
— colloquial: of low quality
Russian:
низкока́чественный
(nizkokáčestvennyj)
— colloquial: of low quality
Russian:
дешёвый
(dešóvyj)
— colloquial: of low quality
Spanish:
chopo
— colloquial: of low quality
Spanish:
cutre
— colloquial: of low quality
Spanish:
chafa
— colloquial: of low quality
Spanish:
patito
— colloquial: of low quality
Tagalog:
baduy
— colloquial: of low quality
Catalan:
xaró
— colloquial: in bad taste
Danish:
smagløs
— colloquial: in bad taste
Dutch:
smakeloos
— colloquial: in bad taste
Esperanto:
malbongusta
— colloquial: in bad taste
Esperanto:
puca
— colloquial: in bad taste
Esperanto:
kiĉa
— colloquial: in bad taste
Finnish:
mauton
— colloquial: in bad taste
Finnish:
tyylitön
— colloquial: in bad taste
French:
quétaine
— colloquial: in bad taste
German:
geschmacklos
— colloquial: in bad taste
Indonesian:
receh
— colloquial: in bad taste
Italian:
di cattivo gusto
— colloquial: in bad taste
Italian:
tamarro
— colloquial: in bad taste
Italian:
pacchiano
— colloquial: in bad taste
Norwegian Bokmål:
smakløs
— colloquial: in bad taste
Norwegian Bokmål:
harry
— colloquial: in bad taste
Norwegian Nynorsk:
smaklaus
— colloquial: in bad taste
Norwegian Nynorsk:
harry
— colloquial: in bad taste
Portuguese:
de mau gosto
— colloquial: in bad taste
Portuguese:
brega
— colloquial: in bad taste
Portuguese:
cafona
— colloquial: in bad taste
Portuguese:
piroso
— colloquial: in bad taste
Russian:
безвку́сный
(bezvkúsnyj)
— colloquial: in bad taste
