as in dusty
severely lacking in cleanliness
My friend thinks that scuzzy dive bar has "character," but the smell alone is enough to keep me far away from that place.
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of scuzzy
Gorgeously textured and frequently very funny—Griffin’s wisecracking younger brother, Oren, is a scene-stealer—the book’s particular portrait of late-20th-century, upper-middle-class adolescence takes a generously wide angle, reveling in all the heady, scuzzy, confusing bits of coming of age.
—
Vogue, 26 Dec. 2024
The premise of the first movie, which treated Arthur as a scuzzy sociopath out of a Scorsese fever dream, is that unlike the dark-side characters in comic-book movies, Arthur really was just a disturbed individual.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2024
That context may help explain why Big Tech products can sometimes feel frustrating, such as unhelpful Google search results or scuzzy Instagram accounts.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 26 July 2024
The prior Deadpool films were scuzzy and cobbled together, even as the budget grew; the cameos from other Marvel characters felt half-hearted and perfunctory, inclusions for Deadpool to roll his eyes at, not for fans to cheer over.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for scuzzy
Vogue, 26 Dec. 2024
The premise of the first movie, which treated Arthur as a scuzzy sociopath out of a Scorsese fever dream, is that unlike the dark-side characters in comic-book movies, Arthur really was just a disturbed individual.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2024
That context may help explain why Big Tech products can sometimes feel frustrating, such as unhelpful Google search results or scuzzy Instagram accounts.
—Shira Ovide, Washington Post, 26 July 2024
The prior Deadpool films were scuzzy and cobbled together, even as the budget grew; the cameos from other Marvel characters felt half-hearted and perfunctory, inclusions for Deadpool to roll his eyes at, not for fans to cheer over.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 23 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for scuzzy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuzzy
Adjective
-
This record is a gentle correction for listeners who think of blues as either dusty or loud.—
Philip Martin,
Arkansas Online,
19 June 2025
-
Workers in overalls walk down dusty streets that turn into dusty tracks before petering out to nowhere.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
14 June 2025
Adjective
-
Troubled Factories: The medications came mostly from plants in India where inspectors found contaminated drugs, filthy labs and falsified records.—
Debbie Cenziper,
ProPublica,
17 June 2025
-
The next year, his fame reached a new echelon after the release of Pumping Iron, a docudrama that highlighted Schwarzenegger's strange charisma and filthy sense of humor.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
12 June 2025
Adjective
-
Each spritz instantly minimizes the look of greasy hair while its oil-absorbing formula leaves hair feeling just washed clean.—
Jennifer Hussein,
Allure,
18 June 2025
-
Stonestreet looks like a science teacher from a bad high school movie — nerdy glasses, greasy hair, striped pullover.—
Lisa Gutierrez,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2025
Adjective
-
The black coffee and ablutions came promptly at 3: 30 a.m. each morning, followed by a toe-curling breakfast.—
Nash Buckingham,
Outdoor Life,
19 June 2025
-
He is described as 5 feet, 8 inches tall, with black hair and brown eyes and weighing 190 pounds.—
Khaleda Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Adjective
-
The wider sweeps are stressing the capacity of the detention system, where detainees have reported moldy food, dirty towels and no changes of clothes for more than a week at a time.—
Rachel Uranga,
Los Angeles Times,
25 June 2025
-
To properly load a dishwasher for maximum cleaning power, place dishes in the dishwasher with the dirty side facing the jets, with taller items around the outside.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
In its time open, fueled by fans of its blackened mahi and buttery lobster rolls, owner Mike Smith has expanded his footprint, moving into a larger stall in the popular food hall — which has allowed for a menu expansion, as well.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
Orlando Sentinel,
6 Dec. 2022
-
There are no glamorous furnishings — just a French window, its blackened panes suggesting the dark of night.—
Christopher Knight,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Oct. 2022
Adjective
-
As a longtime money manager for professional athletes, and a veteran of the sleazy business of recruiting big time college stars as his future clients, Blazer knew the inner truths of the corrupt and corrupting world of amateur sports.—
Guy Lawson,
Rolling Stone,
22 June 2025
-
The play recounts the landmark moment in 1954 when CBS News legend Edward R. Murrow challenged the sleazy smear tactics of Sen. Joseph McCarthy at the height of the anti-Communist scare.—
William Earl,
Variety,
8 June 2025
Adjective
-
But the 2016 cast was not too shabby: Charlie Blackmon and Nolan Arenado each hit two, and DJ LeMahieu, Gerardo Para, and Carlos Gonzalez each hit one.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
17 June 2025
-
There are various apartments shown in the film, and the sharp contrasts between the interior of a penthouse belonging to Harry (Pedro Pascal) and the shabby digs that John (Chris Evans) shares with roommates are absurd, and true to life.—
Abigail Lee,
Variety,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scuzzy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuzzy. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share