What does trashy mean?
Trashy is an informal adjective meaning low-quality, shoddy, or unworthy of serious attention. It often describes products, clothing, films, books, or other works that appear cheaply made, badly designed, or lacking taste. In colloquial English, the word can also characterize behavior, jokes, entertainment, or appearances as vulgar, tasteless, or offensive. The term is generally more critical and conversational than a neutral quality judgment, so its force depends on context and tone. Trashy is especially common in speech and reviews, where it offers a quick way to dismiss something as beneath notice. Although it can be harsh when directed at a person’s appearance or conduct, it is also used humorously to describe deliberately exaggerated, lurid, or low-budget entertainment. Its usefulness lies in combining a judgment of poor quality with the suggestion of something disposable, vulgar, or unworthy of attention.
adjectiveOf poor or inferior quality, especially because it is cheaply made or lacks taste. In colloquial use, it can also mean vulgar, tasteless, or offensive.
- Of poor or inferior quality; cheaply made and lacking value or refinement.
- Vulgar, tasteless, or offensive, especially in appearance, behavior, or entertainment.
"The film was entertaining, but its trashy production design made it difficult to take seriously."
"I bought the coat because it was inexpensive, but it turned out to be trashy."
"Her remarks were so trashy that everyone at the party lost interest in the conversation."
Trashy turns “trash” into a sharp verdict: call something trashy and you are saying it is cheap in quality, taste, or appeal.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of trashy
Trashy is an English adjective formed from the older word trash with the suffix -y. Trash has long been used for discarded material or things regarded as worthless, although the deeper history of that word is uncertain. The suffix -y gives the adjective the sense of being like trash, and this development led to modern meanings involving poor quality and tastelessness.
Related word forms
How trashy is actually used
Trashy is informal and usually disparaging. It can describe an object or work as poorly made, but it is also commonly used for people, behavior, and entertainment that seem tasteless, crude, or offensive.
Easily confused with trashy
Trash is a noun for discarded or worthless material, whereas trashy is an adjective describing something as low-quality, vulgar, or offensive.