as in dirty
arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust
the jury was disgusted by the scummy behavior of the defendant in the courtroom
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Recent Examples of scummy
Clean Glass Shower Doors Melt about half a cup of coconut oil and mix in a few drops of lemon juice to create a solution that will go to work on scummy glass shower doors and walls.
—
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2026
Patricia Shannon, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scummy
Adjective
-
One solution is to wash dirty clothes right away, but this isn't always possible.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
3 Mar. 2026
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On top of that, the restaurant has rotating soft serve, sauce and dirty soda flavors.—
Carolyn Stein,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Saying the house is like a character too sounds a bit lame.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Feb. 2026
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That huge war chest would be especially remarkable amassed by a lame-duck president.—
Susan Page,
USA Today,
16 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Their weekly grocery bill has dropped from the equivalent of about $400 to $267; fuel and public transport are 40% cheaper; and GP visits cost 25% less – with same-day appointments replacing week-long waits.—
Laura Sharman,
CNN Money,
7 Mar. 2026
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Respect yourself by choosing quality items over the cheapest possible options, then treat those purchases with care.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Gallup reached only 50,000 people, a pitiful fraction of The Literary Digest’s awe-inspiring mailbag.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
21 Feb. 2026
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Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Vonn’s hugely successful World Cup season at age 41 was ended by a nasty crash one month ago at the Milan Cortina Olympics that wrecked her left leg.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
6 Mar. 2026
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In the first inning of the club’s matchup with the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday afternoon, Sal Frelick waved haplessly at a nasty changeup from Edward Cabrera for his first strikeout of the day.—
Sahadev Sharma,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Critics at its first press screening called the film disgusting, accusing it of exploiting both its oblivious subjects and the beloved former first lady.—
Rosemary Counter,
Vanity Fair,
25 Feb. 2026
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Just last week the president tweeted a vile and disgusting image of President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, and refuses to apologize.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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As with much else in this wretched administration, the initial refusal to review Moderna’s vaccine was a transparent pretext for officials to pursue political and ideological preferences under the guise of regular government administration.—
The Orlando Sentinel,
The Orlando Sentinel,
21 Feb. 2026
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There were still seasons, birds and bees, and days and weeks in all their wretched assuredness.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This has allowed this unauthorized user unfettered access to those frequencies to transmit hateful and threatening messaging, potentially disrupting vital police, fire and EMS communications.—
Andy Sheehan,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
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People also can pass out political literature and engage in hateful speech for the most part.—
Cate Charron,
IndyStar,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scummy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scummy. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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