tartedadj.
/ˈtɑːtɪd/ a. Of a person: dressed up in a showy manner, gaudily adorned. Also without up.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beautification > beautification of the person > [adjective]
well-kempt1327
quainted1484
primped1625
prinky1827
manicured1884
cosmeticked1890
tarted1938
flossied up1943
the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > wearing clothing > [adjective] > overdressed
got up like a pox doctor's clerk1680
bedizened1707
overdressed1769
dressed (or done, etc.) up like a sore finger (or toe)1919
tarted1938
1938 E. Bowen Death of Heart i. iii. 61 After dark, she [sc. London] is like a governess gone to the bad, in a Woolworth tiara, tarted up all wrong.
1952 D. Adams Murder, Maestro, Please xvi. 113 These tarted-up hags!
1972 ‘R. Crawford’ Whip Hand i. viii. 49 I know your natures, you tarted-up toffs.
1979 Evening Standard 13 Sept. 19/6 Prostitutes..are of the conventional kind, in high heeled shoes and characteristically ‘tarted’ both cosmetically and sartorially.
b. transferred and figurative.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > attention and judgement > beautification > types of ornamentation > [adjective] > cheaply or gaudily ornamented
tawdry1676
tinselled1738
fripperied over1858
bedaubed1863
tarted1958
1958 K. Amis I like it Here ii. 21 A collection of tarted-up reviews.
1967 Spectator 20 Oct. 455/3 The tarted-up village inn, remodelled with the single aim of attracting motor trade from a distance.
1972 Where? Mar. 96/3 ROSLA enthusiasts for tarted-up curricula need to heed the warning.
1981 J. Scott Distant View of Death xiv. 182 The tarted panda reversed..and drove in the wake of the quarry.
1983 Listener 21 July 33/2 At the other end of the spectrum of the Higher Rubbish—defined for the moment as tarted-up junk..—is Elizabeth Taylor in the vastly enjoyable, utterly brainless The VIPs.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1986; most recently modified version published online March 2019).
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adj.1938