seedy

[ see-dee ]

adjective

, seed·i·er, seed·i·est.

1. abounding in seed.
2. containing many seeds, as a piece of fruit.
3. gone to seed; bearing seeds.
4. poorly kept; run-down; shabby.
5. shabbily dressed; unkempt:

   a seedy old tramp.

6. physically run-down; under the weather:

   He felt a bit seedy after his operation.

7. somewhat disreputable; degraded:

   a seedy hotel.

seedy

/ ˈsiːdɪ /

adjective

1. shabby or unseemly in appearance

   seedy clothes

2. (of a plant) at the stage of producing seeds
3. informal.
   not physically fit; sickly

Derived Forms

• ˈseedily, adverb
• ˈseediness, noun

Other Words From

• seedi·ly adverb
• seedi·ness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of seedy¹

First recorded in 1565–75; seed + -y ¹

Example Sentences

Im scraped together low-value land in a backwater known for its seedy motels and opened the theme park — a decision his friends disparaged.

From Los Angeles Times

Coppola has an eye for Vegas’ seedy glamour, particularly in the frenetic sequences depicting the showgirls backstage during costume changes, where we see the panic that fuels the razzle-dazzle.

From Los Angeles Times

Many exploded with seedy information, and exposed a tale of corruption and big money.

From Salon

The staging, which can seem cluttered and breathless in the early going, traipses through these seedy locales with a theatrical swiftness that captures the milieu that bred the syncopated rhythm of the Jazz Age.

From Los Angeles Times

“I’ve got a bit of a seedy mind. I try to look for the underbelly of life a little.”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• crummy
• decaying
• decrepit
• dingy
• grubby
• scruffy
• shabby
• sleazy
• squalid
• tacky