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Meaning & use

sleazy

adjective·Academicinformaldisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˈsliːzi/
US/ˈsliːzi/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparabledisapproving

    Morally cheap or dishonest in a way that feels seedy, especially in dealings involving money, sex, or politics.

    Grammar: Can come before a noun or after a verb: a sleazy deal, the deal seemed sleazy.

    Patterns

    • a sleazy something

    The politician was caught up in a sleazy scandal involving bribes.

    He gave her a sleazy smile that made her uncomfortable.

    Reporters exposed the sleazy tactics of the debt collectors.

  2. adjectivecomparableinformal

    Dirty, run-down, and unpleasant in appearance, often describing a cheap bar, hotel, or neighborhood.

    Grammar: Usually before a noun: a sleazy motel.

    Patterns

    • a sleazy bar

    They spent the night in a sleazy motel near the highway.

    The film is set in the sleazy back streets of the port.

    We avoided the sleazy club on the corner.

Word forms

comparativesleazier
superlativesleaziest

Common combinations

sleazy politician
The sleazy politician denied taking money from the developer.
sleazy deal
The company was punished for a sleazy deal with its suppliers.
sleazy bar
The detective met his contact in a sleazy bar downtown.
sleazy tabloid
The sleazy tabloid printed rumors with no evidence.
sleazy behavior
Her boss's sleazy behavior led to an official complaint.

Synonyms and how they differ

seedy
Seedy mainly describes places that look shabby and slightly disreputable, while sleazy adds a sense of moral dirtiness.
sordid
Sordid is more formal and suggests something shockingly immoral or squalid, while sleazy is more everyday and mocking.
shady
Shady hints at possible dishonesty without necessarily involving anything dirty or crude, which sleazy usually does.
tacky
Tacky means cheap and in poor taste, but it does not suggest the dishonesty that sleazy often does.

Opposites

respectablewholesome

Word family

sleaze noun
dishonest or immoral behavior, especially in public life
sleazily adverb
in a sleazy way
sleaziness noun
the quality of being sleazy
sleazebag noun
an informal insult for a sleazy person

Commonly confused: sleazy or sleezy?

sleazy vs sleezy

Sleezy is a common misspelling; the correct spelling has the letters -ea- as in sleaze.

Practice

Which word best completes the sentence? The mayor resigned after reports of a ____ deal with a land developer.

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