tawdry
/ˈtɔ.dɹi/adjective
tawdry is spelled T-A-W-D-R-Y: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 56,788th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As an adjective, tawdry means “Of clothing, appearance, etc., cheap and gaudy; showy” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in tawdry?
| Letters | 6: T-A-W-D-R-Y |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 4 million words; the 56,788th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is tawdry?
Tawdry appears about once in every 4 million words in written English, the 56,788th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce tawdry?
- UK /ˈtɔːdɹi/
- US /ˈtɔ.dɹi/
- /ˈtɑ.dɹi/
Tawdry has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-tawdry.wav, LL-Q1860_(eng)-Naomi_Persephone_Amethyst_(NaomiAmethyst)-tawdry.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Forms of tawdry
- tawdrier comparative
- tawdriest superlative
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does tawdry mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
adjective
- 1
Of clothing, appearance, etc., cheap and gaudy; showy.
- 2
Of a character, behavior, or situation, etc., unseemly, base, mean-spirited, shameful.
noun
- 1
obsoleteTawdry lace.
- 2
obsoleteAnything gaudy and cheap; pretentious finery.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Tawdry in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense gaudy:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | kitsch, tape-à-l’œil |
| German | kitschig, geschmacklos, flitterhaft, bunt, aufgetakelt, aufgedonnert |
| Portuguese | espalhafatoso, mixuruca |
| Spanish | hortera, chabacano, charro |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does tawdry come from?
Shortened from tawdry lace; originally a corruption and rebracketing of Saint Audrey lace (from Old English Æðelþrȳð). The lace necklaces sold to pilgrims to Saint Audrey fell out of fashion in the 17th century, and so tawdry was reinterpreted as meaning “cheap” or “vulgar”.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).