Showy wad wasted in sample (6)
I believe the answer is:
tawdry
'showy' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'wad wasted in sample' is the wordplay.
'wasted' indicates an anagram.
'in' indicates putting letters inside.
'sample' becomes 'try' (synonyms).
'wad' anagrammed gives 'awd'.
'awd' inserted inside 'try' is 'TAWDRY'.
(Other definitions for tawdry that I've seen before include "In poor taste" , "Cheap and flashy" , "Showy and gaudy but without real value" , "Showy, cheap; sordid" , "Cheap; sleazy" .)