seedy

play

adjective \ ˈsē-dē \

Updated on: 11 Sep 2017

Definition of seedy

seedier; seediest

1 :containing or full of seeds

a seedy fruit

2 :inferior in condition or quality: such as

a :shabby, run-down

seedy clothes

b :somewhat disreputable

a seedy district

a seedy lawyer

c :slightly unwell :debilitated

felt seedy and went home early

—

seedily

play \ˈsē-də-lē\ adverb

—

seediness

play \ˈsē-dē-nəs\ noun

See seedy defined for English-language learners

See seedy defined for kids

Examples of seedy in a Sentence

He was wearing a seedy suit.
a seedy area of the city

Recent Examples of seedy from the Web

Thomas (Callum Turner) is a young man of privilege who has moved to a seedier New York neighborhood than the tony one his wealthy father’s publishing money affords.

— bill goodykoontz, Detroit Free Press, "Review: ‘Only Living Boy’ is mostly annoying," 24 Aug. 2017
In 1941, the corner theater, renamed the Folly, became synonymous with the seedy red-light district.

— darryl levings, kansascity, "Remembering Folly Theater’s tasseled burlesque past," 19 Aug. 2017
Now, thanks to a president who cravenly rode all those seedy impulses to the White House, for the first time in decades, the worst of America feels seen again.

— chris gayomali, GQ, "We Already Knew the Face of White Supremacy," 13 Aug. 2017
Theresa’s job as a clerk in the marijuana dispensary, which is seedy and neon-lit (in order to look, Laura says, a little bit like outer space), is a lot more complicated and treacherous than her sleepy eyes initially suggest.

— amy larocca, The Cut, "Queen of the Wood Nymphs," 8 Aug. 2017
But does the Elm City have a seedy underbelly, murky with betrayal, murder, seduction, corruption, secrets and lies?

— susan dunne, courant.com, "Amy Bloom Edits Short-Story Compilation About New Haven's Dark Side," 7 Aug. 2017
Denali National Park and Preserve will be a seedy place Saturday.

— mike campbell, Alaska Dispatch News, "Sockeye limit soars in China Poot Bay," 3 Aug. 2017
But everyone has encountered a flirty, shallow Isabella Thorpe or a suave but seedy Henry Crawford.

— The Economist, "Fame and favourabilityJane Austen, 200 years on," 13 July 2017
Lynch wasn’t yet ready to splash around in the seedy noir shadows of L.A. (That would come later, in 2001’s Mulholland Drive.)

— rachel syme, New Republic, "How the New Twin Peaks Made Television Strange Again," 10 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'seedy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.