seedy

adjective

ˈsē-dē 

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

ˈsē-də-lē 

adverb

seediness

ˈsē-dē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• beat-up
• bombed-out
• dilapidated
• dog-eared
• down-at-the-heels
• down-at-heel
• down-at-the-heel
• down-at-heels
• dumpy
• grungy
• mangy
• mean
• miserable
• moth-eaten
• neglected
• ratty
• run-down
• scrubby
• scruffy
• shabby
• sleazy
• tacky
• tatterdemalion
• tatty
• threadbare
• timeworn
• tumbledown

Examples of seedy in a Sentence

He was wearing a seedy suit.

a seedy area of the city

Recent Examples on the Web

Acrimony star Stewart as Mallory has riches running her family business, but Williams’ Kimmie struggles as a stripper living in a seedy motel after her mother kicked her out. —Etan Vlessing, The Hollywood Reporter, 24 Sep. 2024

Also invading Maxine’s personal space is a seedy private detective (Kevin Bacon), who threatens to expose Maxine’s past as a murderer. —Tim Lammers, Forbes, 13 Sep. 2024

To pay for Shirin’s life-saving surgery, Saba finds a waitressing job at a seedy hookah lounge in Dhaka — a position in which, she’s told, women tend not to last — with long hours that only complicate her caregiving duties. —Siddhant Adlakha, Variety, 11 Sep. 2024

When Keep ended up in Arizona, the search for adrenaline steered him into seedy corners. —Bryce Miller, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 June 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

seedy

adjective

ˈsēd-ē 

seedier; seediest

1

: containing or full of seeds

a seedy fruit

2

: not being in good shape : shabby

seedy clothes

seediness noun