sleazy

American  

[slee-zee, sley-zee] / ˈsli zi, ˈsleɪ zi /

adjective

sleazier, sleaziest

1. contemptibly low, mean, or disreputable.

   sleazy politics.

2. squalid; sordid; filthy; dilapidated.

   a sleazy hotel.

3. thin or poor in texture, as a fabric; cheap; flimsy.

   a sleazy dress;

   a sleazy excuse.

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sleazy British  

/ ˈsliːzɪ /

adjective

1. sordid; disreputable

   a sleazy nightclub

2. thin or flimsy, as cloth

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Other Word Forms

• sleazily adverb
• sleaziness noun

Etymology

Origin of sleazy

First recorded in 1635–45 sleazy for def. 3; of obscure origin; probably unrelated to Silesia; first recorded in 1941 sleazy for defs. 1, 2; perhaps a distinct word

Example Sentences

But what begins as the sleazy and alluring tale of a man parachuting into self-destruction turns into an exploration of the transformative power of living in one’s true identity.

From Los Angeles Times

It was once the job of “sleazy” tabloids to destroy lives with lurid gossip that titillated the public but lacked public interest in the high-minded sense.

From The Wall Street Journal

“There might be some hangover from that. For someone who thinks his behavior was sleazy, they might not consider it a big deal because he calmed them during the pandemic.”

From The Wall Street Journal

His screen persona has often been the sleaziest of weasels, the connoisseur’s moral degenerate.

From The Wall Street Journal

David Ball of Soft Cell, whose delectably sleazy synth-pop arrangement drove that English duo’s 1981 hit “Tainted Love” to the top of the U.K. singles chart, died Wednesday.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• seedy
• sordid
• tacky
• trashy