tawdry
Showy but worthless
Tawdry describes something cheap and gaudy—showy but of poor quality.
A tawdry dress might feature too much glitter and synthetic fabric.
The word extends to anything trashy or sordid: tawdry gossip, a tawdry affair.
What distinguishes tawdry from merely cheap is the failed attempt at elegance or respectability.
Tastelessly ornate
- garishTastelessly showy
- flashyShowy, often tastelessly so
- glitzyShowily eye-catching
- tackyVulgar or slightly sticky
chintzy · trashy · meretricious · gimcrack · tinsel · brassy · loud · ostentatious
Worn and neglected
- seedyRundown and disreputable
- run-downDeteriorated from neglect
- dilapidatedRuined through neglect
- wornDamaged by use
frayed · tattered · faded · threadbare · dingy · sleazy · squalid · ramshackle
Crude or indecent
- crassCrudely lacking refinement
- crudeUnpolished, raw state
- coarseRough in texture
- unrefinedNot processed or polished
graceless · inelegant · unseemly · improper · indecent · indelicate · low-class · common
Small worthless ornament
- baubleShowy, worthless ornament
- knick-knackSmall decorative object
- souvenirToken from a trip
- noveltyQuality of being original
bric-a-brac · gewgaw · tchotchke · ornament · curio · doodad · collectible · figurine
gaudy
Tastelessly ornate
tacky · chintzy · trashy · meretricious · gimcrack · tinsel · brassy · loud · ostentatious · kitschy
shabby
Worn and neglected
- seedyRundown and disreputable
- run-downDeteriorated from neglect
- dilapidatedRuined through neglect
worn · frayed · tattered · faded · threadbare · dingy · sleazy · squalid · ramshackle · decrepit
vulgar
Crude or indecent
unrefined · graceless · inelegant · unseemly · improper · indecent · indelicate · low-class · common · base
trinket
Small worthless ornament
- baubleShowy, worthless ornament
- knick-knackSmall decorative object
- souvenirToken from a trip
novelty · bric-a-brac · gewgaw · tchotchke · ornament · curio · doodad · collectible · figurine · memento
tawdryelegant
Gracefully refined, tasteful
refined · tasteful · sophisticated · classy · graceful
tawdrywholesome
Conducive to well-being
honorable · respectable · virtuous · upstanding · noble
tawdryunderstated
Deliberately minimized in expression
subtle · unflashy · unostentatious · restrained · muted