# tawdry

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈtɔːdɹi/ · frequency rank #57,119

## Definitions
1. Tawdry lace.
2. Anything gaudy and cheap; pretentious finery.

## Etymology
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
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/tawdry