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 adverb
seediness noun

Examples of seedy in a Sentence

He was wearing a seedy suit. a seedy area of the city
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.
Norman Mailer achieved a similar thing in his non-fiction novel about Gary Gilmore The Executioner’s Song—although, by the time the book was published in 1979, the seedy, psychotic world of Gilmore and his two girlfriends, Nicole and April Baker, hardly came as a revelation. Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2025 That result will mean more cash for seedy gambling sites to spend on tedious Kevin Hart-LeBron James commercials. Kevin Cusick, Twin Cities, 26 Sep. 2025 The episode was about a fake Lord trying to check in to a seedy seaside hotel, and the snobbish Cleese character who runs the place gets fooled by him. Jonathan Margolis, Air Mail, 20 Sep. 2025 The ladies move closer to God through acts of disobedience, debauchery, and disgrace; by visiting seedy places and commingling with the disreputable. Nicole Flattery, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for seedy

Word History

First Known Use

1574, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of seedy was in 1574

Cite this Entry

“Seedy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/seedy. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

seedy

adjective
seedier; seediest
1
: containing or full of seeds
a seedy fruit
2
: not being in good shape : shabby
seedy clothes
seediness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on seedy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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