Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “tawdry” come from?

Tawdry derives from tawdry lace, a type of cheap lace or ribbon formerly sold at fairs, with origins unclear beyond English.

tawdry (English): Tawdry lace; Anything gaudy and cheap;...

Definitions

  1. Tawdry lace; Anything gaudy and cheap;...

Ancestry of “tawdry”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Englishtawdry laceA silk ribbon or string worn as a necklace in the...

Words derived from “tawdry”

  • tawdriness
  • tawdrily
  • betawder
Every word from English tawdry lace →