smarmy

adjective \ ˈsmär-mē \

Updated on: 1 May 2018

Definition of smarmy

smarmier; smarmiest

1 : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness

a tone of smarmy self-satisfaction
—New Yorker

2 : of low sleazy taste or quality

smarmy eroticism

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smarmily

play \ˈsmär-mə-lē\ adverb

—

smarminess

play \ˈsmär-mē-nəs\ noun

See smarmy defined for English-language learners

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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

Recent Examples of smarmy from the Web

But the Canadians aren’t particularly welcoming, despite the smarmy charm of Mayor Guy Le Franc (Rob Lowe), a former minor-league hockey player.

— bill goodykoontz, azcentral, "'Super Troopers 2' is bad, but do fans care?," 19 Apr. 2018
That smarmy joke about dumb blondes that a colleague tells at lunch demeans all women.

— michelle ruiz, Vogue, "Is It Unfair to Assume That All Pro Athletes Cheat?," 17 Apr. 2018
Yet Ms Clifford is no smarmy British comic or slippery senator.

— The Economist, "Why Stormy Daniels is so dangerous," 22 Mar. 2018
And not just the usual obvious targets, like the smarmy hypocrites at court.

— ben brantley, New York Times, "Review: Michael Urie Puts the Madcap in Hamlet’s Madness," 23 Jan. 2018
Even the requisite riff-off is forced and weak, and the once-hilarious judging duo of Gail (Elizabeth Banks) and John (John Michael Higgins) are shadows of their smartly smarmy former selves.

— brian truitt, USA TODAY, "Review: Forgettable 'Pitch Perfect 3' proves the sing-happy series is aca-over," 20 Dec. 2017
The supporting actors steal the show, including Caleb Landry Jones as his redneck brother-in-law and a fantastically smarmy Domhnall Gleeson as Barry’s CIA contact.

— katie walsh, kansascity, "Tom Cruise pilots a bright, breezy ‘American Made’," 28 Sep. 2017
Will Rachel end up with never-been-in-love Eric, the smarmy mama’s boy Bryan, or the too-realistic-to-be-on-reality-TV Peter?

— melissa locker, Time, "The Bachelorette: Rachel Lindsay Faces 15 of Her Exes When The Men Tell All," 1 Aug. 2017
The smarmy young taxi driver who took people to and from the party?

— lloyd sachs, chicagotribune.com, "Crime lurks along the coast and bay in these streaming series," 13 July 2017

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

Did You Know?

Something smarmy will often ooze with self-satisfaction and insincerity. Much like its synonyms unctuous and slick, smarmy has a history that starts with a meaning of literal slipperiness or oiliness. The verb smarm appeared in English in the mid-19th century. Etymologists don't know where it came from, but they do know that it meant "to smear," "to gush," or sometimes "to make smooth or oily." A few decades later, the use of smarm was extended to sometimes mean "to use flattery." The adjective smarmy appeared in the early 20th century. At first meaning "insincerely flattering" or "smug," it later took on an additional meaning: "sleazy."