trashy

IPA/ˈtræʃi/
KK[trˈæʃi]IPA/ˈtræʃi/

trashy — adjective

  • trashypositive
  • trashiercomparative
  • trashiestsuperlative

1. describes something that is poorly made, looks or feels cheap, and has no real w

1.adjectiveB1
Definition

describes something that is poorly made, looks or feels cheap, and has no real worth — for example, a badly written novel, a flimsy piece of jewelry, or a tastelessly decorated room.

Example

Adaeze grabbed a trashy celebrity magazine for her long train ride to Ibadan.

collocation: trashy magazine / trashy celebrity magazine

Mateo bought a trashy bracelet at the market, and it turned his wrist green.

collocation: trashy (accessory / jewelry)

Common collocations
  • trashy novel
  • trashy magazine
  • trashy reality show
  • trashy TV
  • trashy movie
  • trashy jewelry
  • trashy decorations
  • trashy clothes
  • trashy romance
Synonyms
  • cheap

    focuses on low price OR poor materials; 'trashy' is stronger on tastelessness, not just cost

  • tacky

    emphasises bad taste and gaudiness rather than overall low quality; 'tacky' is more about style, 'trashy' about worth

  • low-grade

    more formal and factual, lacking the dismissive or amused tone of 'trashy'

Antonyms
  • high-quality

    the direct opposite on the quality spectrum

  • classy

    opposite on the taste/style dimension; 'trashy' implies bad taste, 'classy' implies elegance

Grammar Patterns

trashy + noun (attributive)

be + trashy (predicative)

Usage Note

Often used to describe entertainment media (novels, TV shows, films) that are enjoyed despite (or partly because of) their low quality. Can be self-deprecating — a speaker might call something they like 'trashy' to acknowledge it has no artistic merit.

Common Mistakes

This T-shirt was very trashy — it only cost three dollars.
This T-shirt was very cheap
it only cost three dollars.' — 'trashy' describes low quality or bad taste, not a low price.
The food at the expensive restaurant was trashy.
The food at the expensive restaurant was disappointing.
'trashy' generally fits cheap, poorly made things, not expensive items that fail to meet high expectations.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All three words describe something of poor quality, but they differ in what they emphasise. 'Cheap' focuses primarily on low price or poor materials (a cheap watch that breaks easily). 'Tacky' centres on bad taste and gaudiness — something overly flashy or lacking elegance (a tacky souvenir shaped like a neon pink flamingo). 'Low-grade' is more factual and neutral, used in semi-technical contexts (low-grade steel, low-grade coffee beans). 'Trashy' combines the ideas of low worth and tastelessness with a distinctly informal, dismissive tone. A 'trashy novel' is not just poorly written — it is shamelessly so, often in a way the reader secretly enjoys. You could say 'the hotel room had cheap furniture and tacky decorations, and the whole effect felt trashy.'

cheap ↗tacky ↗low-grade ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • really trashy
  • kind of trashy
  • a bit trashy

Phrases

  • trashy and tasteless
  • cheap and trashy

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed from the noun 'trash' (rubbish, worthless material) plus the adjective suffix '-y', meaning 'characterised by' or 'like'. The word 'trash' itself probably comes from Scandinavian roots — compare Old Norse 'tros' (fallen leaves, rubbish). Originally used of literal waste, then extended in the 1600s to mean anything worthless. By the early 1900s, 'trashy' was firmly established for describing cheap, poorly made goods and later for low-quality entertainment.