sleaze

noun

ˈslēz How to pronounce sleaze (audio)
also ˈslāz
Synonyms of sleazenext
1
: sleazy quality, appearance, or behavior
also : sleazy material
2
: a sleazy person

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The guy was a sleaze, but there’s a pretty big gap between sleaziness and murderousness. Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025 The music sounds like a terrible Brooklyn electro indie-sleaze band opening for Crystal Castles or Yachts at Studio B, then rushing home to make sure the Tivo caught Gossip Girl. Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2025 Visually, Casino is a searing smear of sleaze, hopes and glitz, all rubbed into a darkened tint that portends downfall. Duane Byrge, HollywoodReporter, 22 Nov. 2025 Indie sleaze, the hallucination of a 2000s seedy-chic genre that never fully existed, is in vogue. Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sleaze

Word History

Etymology

back-formation from sleazy

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sleaze was in 1948

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sleaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sleaze. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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