sleazy
adjective
slea·zy ˈslē-zē 
also ˈslā-
sleazier; sleaziest
1
a
: lacking firmness of texture : flimsy
b
: carelessly made of inferior materials : shoddy
2
a
: marked by low character or quality
sleazy tabloids
b
: squalid, dilapidated
sleazy bars
sleazily
ˈslē-zə-lē
adverb also ˈslā-
sleaziness
ˈslē-zē-nəs
noun also ˈslā-
Synonyms
- skanky [slang]
- sluttish
- slutty
- trampy
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
a dancer in a sleazy outfit a sleazy lothario who is always on the make
Recent Examples on the Web The comedic actor, whose acerbic roles in the acclaimed series Fleabag and TV cult comedies like Another Period established a loud, slightly sleazy persona, doesn't exactly scream Schwarzenegger or Sly. 
Brett Williams, Men's Health, 12 July 2022 Novak started as a writer on the sitcom but stepped in front of the camera as the sleazy office temp. Jodi Guglielmi, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2022 James Woods stars as a sleazy TV executive in search of the ultimate ratings grab, alongside Blondie's Debbie Harry as the seductive hostess of the titular broadcast. Katie Rife, EW.com, 17 June 2022 The alternative Fulbright is a robe-wearing member of a religious cult, and Coats is the sleazy, fast-talking president of Monolith Records, complete with thick mustache, gold chains and Boston accent. Steve Appleford, SPIN, 27 July 2022 With this slangy, sleazy, politicized adaptation of a Mickey Spillane novel, Aldrich pushed the style, the tone, and the mythology of film noir to apocalyptic extremes. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 July 2022 The new story goes something like this: After inheriting the realm, the queen stages a tournament in which six knights on horseback compete for a vaunted title, but her power is threatened by a sleazy adviser who plots to marry her off. New York Times, 15 July 2022 For people who seek to use LinkedIn for authentic networking, The Exploiters have cast a sleazy shadow over the entire platform with their unwanted and often dishonest sales tactics. William Arruda, Forbes, 10 July 2022 His party was gripped by QAnon, which holds at the center of its belief system the idea that the Democratic elite are sleazy and corrupt. Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2022 See More
Brett Williams, Men's Health, 12 July 2022 Novak started as a writer on the sitcom but stepped in front of the camera as the sleazy office temp. Jodi Guglielmi, Peoplemag, 16 Aug. 2022 James Woods stars as a sleazy TV executive in search of the ultimate ratings grab, alongside Blondie's Debbie Harry as the seductive hostess of the titular broadcast. Katie Rife, EW.com, 17 June 2022 The alternative Fulbright is a robe-wearing member of a religious cult, and Coats is the sleazy, fast-talking president of Monolith Records, complete with thick mustache, gold chains and Boston accent. Steve Appleford, SPIN, 27 July 2022 With this slangy, sleazy, politicized adaptation of a Mickey Spillane novel, Aldrich pushed the style, the tone, and the mythology of film noir to apocalyptic extremes. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 23 July 2022 The new story goes something like this: After inheriting the realm, the queen stages a tournament in which six knights on horseback compete for a vaunted title, but her power is threatened by a sleazy adviser who plots to marry her off. New York Times, 15 July 2022 For people who seek to use LinkedIn for authentic networking, The Exploiters have cast a sleazy shadow over the entire platform with their unwanted and often dishonest sales tactics. William Arruda, Forbes, 10 July 2022 His party was gripped by QAnon, which holds at the center of its belief system the idea that the Democratic elite are sleazy and corrupt. Kaitlyn Tiffany, The Atlantic, 28 Apr. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
origin unknown
First Known Use
circa 1645, in the meaning defined at sense 1a
sleazy
adjective
1
as in corrupt
having loose sexual morals a sleazy lothario who is always on the make Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- corrupt
- skanky
- perverted
- trampy
- slutty
- indecent
- lascivious
- sluttish
- depraved
- debauched
- lewd
- dissolute
- indecorous
- unbecoming
- libertine
- debased
- degenerate
- reprobate
- wanton
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- prudish
- puritanical
- priggish
- prim
- decent
- genteel
- polite
- straitlaced
- straightlaced
- proper
- decorous
- virtuous
- seemly
- moral
- pure
- modest
- chaste
- celibate
2
as in cheap
of low quality a sleazy yellow coat that was marked down to practically nothing and not worth even that Synonyms & Similar Words
- cheap
- terrible
- poor
- bad
- rotten
- inferior
- coarse
- trashy
- common
- shoddy
- cheesy
- worthless
- wretched
- junky
- mediocre
- useless
- rubbishy
- crappy
- miserable
- bum
- schlock
- lousy
- low-rent
- execrable
- cheapjack
- shlocky
- schlocky
- gimcrack
- trumpery
- fake
- counterfeit
- tawdry
- shlock
- cut-rate
- low-grade
- second-rate
- bargain-basement
- seedy
- meretricious
- kitschy
- lackluster
- glitzy
- gaudy
- valueless
- swank
- el cheapo
- showy
- flashy
- indifferent
- tacky
- shabby
- garish
- ostentatious
- kitsch
- splashy
- swanky
- phony
- sham
- brummagem
- phoney
- second-class
- ultracheap
- supercheap
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- good
- excellent
- fine
- superior
- handsome
- elegant
- tasteful
- top-notch
- first-rate
- first-class
- high-grade
- polished
- refined
- handcrafted
3
as in flimsy
being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance these cheap, sleazy curtains would do a poor job of blocking those wintertime blasts of cold air Synonyms & Similar Words
- flimsy
- gauzy
- frothy
- unsubstantial
- filmy
- transparent
- insubstantial
- cobwebby
- fine
- feeble
- delicate
- sheer
- gossamer
- fragile
- gossamery
- dainty
- diaphanous
- frail
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- substantial
- sturdy
- tough
- heavy
- durable
- coarse
- rude
- rough
- lasting
- knockabout
4
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect several letters in the sleazy motel's neon "vacancy" sign had burned out Synonyms & Similar Words
- dilapidated
- neglected
- seedy
- miserable
- tacky
- shabby
- scruffy
- grungy
- dumpy
- abandoned
- desolate
- tired
- mangy
- tatty
- tumbledown
- scrubby
- tattered
- down-at-heel
- ragged
- ruined
- ratty
- timeworn
- down-at-the-heels
- threadbare
- tatterdemalion
- down-at-the-heel
- down-at-heels
- beat-up
- broken
- mean
- run-down
- bombed-out
- dog-eared
- damaged
- gone to seed
- unkept
- dingy
- wrecked
- decrepit
- godforsaken
- moth-eaten
- forlorn
- deteriorated
- decaying
- rickety
- ramshackle
- deteriorating
- destroyed
- bedraggled
- broken-down
- hurt
- rackety
- rattletrap
- worn-out
- impaired
- injured
- harmed
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- new
- fresh
- maintained
- brand-new
- spiffy
- smart
- reconstructed
- kept-up
- patched
- rebuilt
- mended
- spruce
- cared-for