Definition

Noun: 1. The quality of being cheap and vulgar; tastelessness: This meaning describes something that is considered to be of poor quality, showy in an unpleasant way, and lacking in good style or judgment. 2. The property of being cohesive and sticky; adhesiveness: This meaning describes the physical state of a surface being slightly sticky or adhesive to the touch.

Usage and Examples

• Meaning 1 (Tastelessness):
  • The tackiness of the souvenir shop was overwhelming, with its neon colors and plastic statues.
  • Critics panned the film for its sheer tackiness and lack of originality.
• Meaning 2 (Stickiness):
  • The tackiness of the freshly painted wall meant we had to be careful not to touch it.
  • After applying the glue, wait for it to reach the right level of tackiness before joining the pieces.

Advanced Usage

• "to descend into tackiness": to become increasingly tasteless or vulgar.
  • The awards show, once classy, has descended into pure tackiness.
• The adjective form "tacky" is far more commonly used than the noun "tackiness" in everyday language for both meanings.

Variants and Related Words

• Tacky (adj):
  • (Tasteless): She thought the gold-plated furniture was incredibly tacky.
  • (Sticky): The varnish is still tacky, so don't put anything on the table yet.
• Tack (n/verb): While related etymologically to the "stickiness" meaning, "tack" commonly refers to a small nail, a direction in sailing, or a course of action (e.g., ). It is not a direct synonym.

Synonyms

• For Meaning 1 (Tastelessness): Vulgarity, gaudiness, kitsch, tastelessness, garishness.
• For Meaning 2 (Stickiness): Adhesiveness, stickiness, gumminess, viscosity (in some contexts).

Antonyms

• For Meaning 1 (Tastelessness): Elegance, sophistication, tastefulness, class.
• For Meaning 2 (Stickiness): Slickness, smoothness, dryness.

Related Phrases and Idioms

• There are no common idioms using the word "tackiness" itself. However, the adjective "tacky" is frequently used in phrases like:
  • "That's so tacky.": A common expression to declare something is in poor taste.
  • "feel tacky": Can describe either a sticky physical sensation (e.g., My hands feel tacky from the syrup) or a metaphorical feeling of embarrassment or distaste (e.g., Wearing that outfit made me feel tacky).

Noun

1. tastelessness by virtue of being cheap and vulgar
2. the property of being cohesive and sticky