adjective
sleazy
SLEE-zee/ˈsliːzi/
Shabbily inferior in quality.
The sleazy jacket has loose stitches and a flimsy lining.
Etymology
The origin is unknown, but the recorded meanings move from “downy, fuzzy” fabric to “flimsy, unsubstantial,” and later “sordid, squalid.” The modern moral judgment follows this earlier vocabulary of poor material quality.
In context
sneaky sleazy way for republicans to keep low income and poor people from voting from voting democrat
More examples
- The sleazy fabric tears after just a few washes.
- Those sleazy curtains are already fraying at the edges.
- Fresh paint cannot disguise the apartment's sleazy furnishings.
Forms
sleazy · sleazier · sleaziest
sleaziness noun — The state of being shabbily inferior.
Similar words
- shabby
- Emphasizes a worn, neglected appearance rather than poor construction.
- shoddy
- Emphasizes careless workmanship or the use of inferior materials.
- flimsy
- Emphasizes thinness and weakness rather than an overall shabby appearance.