schlocky

English

Alternative forms

• shlocky

Etymology

schlock +‎ -y

Pronunciation

• (General American) IPA^(key): /ʃlɑki/
• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): (modern) /ˈʃlɒkiː/, (older) /ˈʃlɒkɪ/
• Rhymes: -ɒki

Adjective

schlocky (comparative schlockier, superlative schlockiest)

1. Of inferior quality, cheap.
2. Tacky, of tasteless appearance.
   • 1996 December 9, “Festival Spanish Fly”, in New York, page 98:

     But España's schlockier, more commercial fare has been unapologetically added this time around—including Day of the Beast (above), about a priest who hooks up with a heavy-metal-head in order to prevent the imminent arrival of the Antichrist.

   • 2011 June 3, Benjamin Mercer, “On ‘Drive Angry,’ the Schlocky Role Nicolas Cage Was Born to Play”, in The Atlantic‎^[1]:

     Moreover, Drive Angry offers evidence that Cage hasn't recently been one-note in his performances so much as in his choice of schlocky material.

   • 2022 October 3, Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen, “Ghost Stories review – more schlocky than scary but there’s fun to be had”, in The Guardian‎^[2], →ISSN:

     The psychological twists are much more effective than the schlocky and obvious jump scares, with Rodgers’ dexterous, multifaceted performance a particular highlight.

Further reading

• Jonathon Green (2024) “schlocky adj.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang