tawdriness

C2 Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /ˈtɔːdrinəs/ UK /ˈtɔːdrɪnəs/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the quality of being showy but cheap and of poor quality

The tawdriness of the costume was evident in its gaudy colors and flimsy material.
2

noun
a lack of taste or refinement

The tawdriness of the decor was off-putting to the guests.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the quality of being showy... gaudinesstackinessflashinessgarishnesskitsch

2 noun · a lack of taste or refinement vulgaritycrudenesscoarsenessshoddinessinelegance

Opposites

elegance refinementtastefulnesssophistication

Etymology

From tawdry (originally 'Saint Audrey's lace,' the cheap lace sold at St. Audrey's fair), which came to mean 'cheap and gaudy'; the noun tawdriness denotes the quality of cheapness and gaudiness.

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# tawdriness

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /ˈtɔːdrinəs/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈtɔːdrɪnəs/

## Meanings
1. the quality of being showy but cheap and of poor quality
2. a lack of taste or refinement

## Examples
- The tawdriness of the costume was evident in its gaudy colors and flimsy material.
- The tawdriness of the decor was off-putting to the guests.

## Synonyms
- gaudiness
- tackiness
- flashiness
- garishness
- kitsch
- vulgarity
- crudeness
- coarseness
- shoddiness
- inelegance

## Antonyms
- elegance
- refinement
- tastefulness
- sophistication

## Etymology
From tawdry (originally 'Saint Audrey's lace,' the cheap lace sold at St. Audrey's fair), which came to mean 'cheap and gaudy'; the noun tawdriness denotes the quality of cheapness and gaudiness.

## AI Etymology
Tawdriness comes from tawdry (originally 'Saint Audrey's lace,' the cheap lace sold at St. Audrey's fair), which came to mean 'cheap and gaudy'; the noun tawdriness denotes the quality of cheapness and gaudiness. In current use it is a noun meaning "the quality of being showy but cheap and of poor quality". That sense is explained by the older material without requiring a speculative semantic step: the inherited or borrowed base supplies the field of meaning, while the English formation fixes its modern role. The history is chiefly morphological, explaining how the modern form packages an older base into its present English use. For dictionary purposes, the important point is the continuity between the older form, the route into English, and the present lexical sense.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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