different between tacky vs tactless

English

Etymology 1

tack +? -y

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?tæki/

• Rhymes: -æki

Adjective

tacky (comparative tackier, superlative tackiest)

1. Of a substance, slightly sticky.

   Hypernyms: see Thesaurus:adhesive

Translations

Etymology 2

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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?tæki/

• Rhymes: -æki

Adjective

tacky (comparative tackier, superlative tackiest)

2. (colloquial) Of low quality.

3. (colloquial) In poor taste.

4. Gaudy or flashy.

   Synonyms: flashy, showy, garish

   • 1967, S. E. Hinton, The Outsiders

     Steve Randle was seventeen, tall and lean, with thick greasy hair he kept combed in complicated swirls. He was tacky, smart, and Soda's best buddy since grade school.

5. Shabby, dowdy in one's appearance or dress.

   Synonym: dowdy

Derived terms

• ticky-tacky

Translations

Noun

tacky (plural tackies)

1. Alternative form of tackey

Anagrams

• Tyack

English

Pronunciation

• (US) IPA^(key): /?tæktl?s/

Etymology

tact +? -less

Adjective

tactless (comparative more tactless, superlative most tactless)

1. having no tact; unaware or intentionally inconsiderate of someone else's feelings

   It was tactless of you not to attend your sister's wedding.

Synonyms

• untactful

Antonyms

• tactful

Related terms

• tact

Translations

Anagrams

• castlets