smarmier; smarmiest
1
: revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness
… a tone of smarmy self-satisfaction …—
New Yorker
New Yorker2
: of low sleazy taste or quality
smarmy eroticism
Did you know?
The history of smarmy is oily. Etymologists don't know where smarm (the verb from which it is based) came from, but they do know that it meant "to smear" or "to make smooth or oily" before gaining the meaning "to flatter." The adjective smarmy comes from the latter meaning.
Examples of smarmy in a Sentence
Yes, he's a smarmy know-it-all with the personality of a hall monitor, the kind of guy everyone hides from at a Christmas party.
—Bill Simmons, ESPN, 2 Aug. 2004
Perhaps not—but Zarrella's absence is giving prime-time exposure to Channel 9 sports backups Drew Soicher, Carol Maloney and Rod Mackey, any of whom is preferable to the main man, whose on-air presence has grown smarmier with each passing year.
—Michael Roberts, Denver Westword, 15 Mar. 2001
Norman's attempt at setting the Holly story straight is a well-researched volume in which Holly comes across as a talented, fun-loving guy who carried the torch for a high-school sweetheart with strong religious convictions; who blindly signed over much of his future income to Norman Perry, his smarmy producer and manager; and who endured grueling concert tours of the U.S. and Britain.
—Genevieve Stuttaford, Publishers Weekly, 12 Aug.1996
Bill Simmons, ESPN, 2 Aug. 2004
Perhaps not—but Zarrella's absence is giving prime-time exposure to Channel 9 sports backups Drew Soicher, Carol Maloney and Rod Mackey, any of whom is preferable to the main man, whose on-air presence has grown smarmier with each passing year.
—Michael Roberts, Denver Westword, 15 Mar. 2001
Norman's attempt at setting the Holly story straight is a well-researched volume in which Holly comes across as a talented, fun-loving guy who carried the torch for a high-school sweetheart with strong religious convictions; who blindly signed over much of his future income to Norman Perry, his smarmy producer and manager; and who endured grueling concert tours of the U.S. and Britain.
—Genevieve Stuttaford, Publishers Weekly, 12 Aug.1996
Recent Examples on the Web
Tim Robbins’s turn as a smarmy film executive who kills a screenwriter skewers the movie industry with a wink and a nod.
—Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Brooks takes a gamble by letting the Monster be funny – seeing Peter Boyle mug the camera with a smarmy grin is as compelling as any serious approach to the Monster’s humanity.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Talking about having an organizational identity often seems smarmy; something a college football coach might claim to have built by recruiting our type of guys.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Johnson has always been a bit slick in the promotion of his brand; there’s something smarmy and politician-ish about his attempts to appeal to as broad an audience as possible.
—Richard Lawson, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smarmy
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Erik Morse, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2025
Brooks takes a gamble by letting the Monster be funny – seeing Peter Boyle mug the camera with a smarmy grin is as compelling as any serious approach to the Monster’s humanity.
—Rory Doherty, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2025
Talking about having an organizational identity often seems smarmy; something a college football coach might claim to have built by recruiting our type of guys.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Johnson has always been a bit slick in the promotion of his brand; there’s something smarmy and politician-ish about his attempts to appeal to as broad an audience as possible.
—Richard Lawson, Rolling Stone, 1 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smarmy
Cite this Entry
“Smarmy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smarmy. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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