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According to Word Reference, "chabacano", "hortera", "cursi" and "ramplón" are all synonyms of "tacky", "tasteless" (= in bad taste). DLE definitions also look very similar:

chabacano

  1. adj. Grosero o de mal gusto.

hortera

  1. adj. despect. coloq. Vulgar y de mal gusto.

ramplón

  1. adj. Vulgar, chabacano.

cursi

  1. adj. Dicho de una persona: Que pretende ser elegante y refinada sin conseguirlo.

  2. adj. Dicho de una cosa: Que, con apariencia de elegancia o delicadeza, es pretenciosa y de mal gusto.

Is there any difference in meaning or usage? Can all these words be used for people and things?

Alan Evangelista
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  • Probably location-dependent, in a very localized sense. I am only used to "cursi" and "hortera" with basically the same meaning. – wimi Jan 04 '20 at 11:04
  • Voting to close as too broad. If you give us a particular context then I think it would be answerable. To get you started: the only one I know (Mexico) in this group is cursi. "Tacky" is a good word for it. "Kitsch" would also work. Grosero and vulgar are stronger, I think, with vulgar the strongest, and the more formal choice. There's also feo and asqueoso (disgusting). As an exclamation: ¡Fuchi! To get a feel for usage you need to check several sources that give plenty of examples. (Chabacano I only know as the fruit. – aparente001 Jan 04 '20 at 16:20
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    I don't know if it's too broad, but it's certainly answerable only by a very diligent examination of a lot of localized examples. Probably not useful, too. I will only say that I disagree with the definition of cursi and I think hortera is exclusively European. – pablodf76 Jan 04 '20 at 22:02
  • @pablodf76 Why do you disagree with the definition of "cursi"? What does it mean in Argentina? – Alan Evangelista Jan 04 '20 at 23:33
  • For me, only "chabacano" and "ramplón" can be used interchangeably. "Hortera" is more used with other meaning, and so is "cursi" with another different meaning. – FGSUZ Jan 05 '20 at 00:06
  • Voting to leave this question open. I don't find it as different as others we have had like “Gafas” vs “anteojos” vs “lentes” vs “espejuelos” in Mexican Spanish or Best translation of “binoculars”: gemelos, binoculares, or prismáticos. – Diego Jan 05 '20 at 02:28
  • @Diego - I probably won't persuade you to my point of view, and that's okay -- but I'll explain my vote to close. If someone asks about two different words and their differences, that's doable, especially if they let us know what they're hoping to express -- with the context. But with four words, and no context -- I think one would have to write an extensive dictionary entry to answer this with such a broad scope. – aparente001 Jan 05 '20 at 08:15
  • I have a typo above -- it should be asqueroso.
    • – aparente001 Jan 05 '20 at 08:18
  • I heard my grandparents use chabacano and cursi. None of those words are in use now in Colombia. If you hear them it would be from a very old person, so I guess this question needs a region tag. – DGaleano Jan 08 '20 at 15:45
  • @DGaleano which words with this meaning are in use nowadays in Colombia ? – Alan Evangelista Feb 07 '20 at 13:18
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    @AlanEvangelista Aparte de ordinario que sería la palabra formal tenemos mañé, chirrete, valija y tal vez algunas más. – DGaleano Feb 07 '20 at 14:31