adj
tawdry
TAWD-ree
adj
1
Cheap-looking and showy; gaudy in a low-quality way.
"She wore a tawdry sequined dress that looked better from a distance."
"The motel room was decorated with tawdry plastic ornaments."
2
Sordid or morally shabby, describing behaviour or a situation.
"The tabloids dug up every tawdry detail of the affair."
How to Use Tawdry
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishCheaply flashy, or sordid — used for gaudy objects and for shabby, scandalous behaviour alike.
Common pairings
tawdry affair
tawdry decorations
tawdry details
Word Forms
tawdrier comparative, tawdries plural, tawdriest superlative
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She wore a _____ sequined dress that looked better from a distance.
Etymology
Shortened from "tawdry lace," originally "Saint Audrey's lace" — cheap necklaces sold to pilgrims at fairs honouring the English saint; once the fashion faded, the word came to mean "cheap and gaudy."