sleaze

noun

ˈslēz 

 also  ˈslāz

1

: sleazy quality, appearance, or behavior

also : sleazy material

2

: a sleazy person

Synonyms

• pervert
• creep
• slimeball [slang]
• slime
• sleazeball [slang]

Examples of sleaze in a Sentence

some sleaze will try to make a buck off of this tragedy

a real sleaze who is constantly mooching off friends, and friends of friends

Recent Examples on the Web

The rule breaker revived the indie sleaze aesthetic, brought club culture back into focus and toppled Clean Girl minimalism with her simple (yet effective) lime-green album cover. —Andre Claudio, Sourcing Journal, 27 Aug. 2025

Everything appears to be breaking down and/or covered in a patina of sleaze. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 3 Aug. 2025

In their place, messy buns, indie sleaze layering and a cigarette hanging from the lip à la 2000s-era Kate Moss signal an aesthetic marked by attitude over appearance. —Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 July 2025

The second season hits Aug. 21, and a new Comic-Con trailer gave us a look at the show's humor, insanity and, yes, even some emotion – all set to a lot of catchy sleaze metal. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from sleazy

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing sleaze

• sleaze factor

Rhymes for sleaze

• bees
• bes
• breeze
• cheese
• crees
• crise
• deas
• dees
• ease
• fees
• fleas
• flees