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.
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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
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Seen from there, the sandstone pylons of Luxor’s temple rose to an open sky, eternally patient in the dusty, pearlescent light.—
Chris Wallace,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Apr. 2025
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Down a dusty street in Jereif West, Fatima Bahlawi, 20 months old, lay wailing in her mother’s arms, waving limbs that were thin as sticks.—
Declan Walsh,
New York Times,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Aurangzeb imprisoned his ailing father in 1658 and defeated his brother the year after, before forcibly parading him in chains on a filthy elephant on the streets of Delhi.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
18 Apr. 2025
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The network has ordered Gordon Ramsay’s Secret Service, which will see the celebrity chef go undercover to rescue America’s filthiest restaurants.—
Peter White,
Deadline,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In your home kitchen, that organic waste usually includes fruit and vegetable scraps, leftover food (excluding meat, dairy, and greasy foods), coffee grounds, tea bags, and eggshells.—
Bailey Berg,
Architectural Digest,
17 Apr. 2025
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The greasy revelation sparked a wider discussion about what exactly goes into our favorite salty snacks.—
Arick Wierson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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This Trevisani has a bushy black mustache, an olive complexion, and a broad forehead.—
Domenico Starnone,
New Yorker,
20 Apr. 2025
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Make Your Pool Sparkle Baking soda can make pool water clearer by changing the pH and remove black algae in the process.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Tom Hardy stars in the neo-noir crime thriller as a corrupt detective named Walker, who shoots, punches, and drop-kicks his way through an entire criminal underworld to rescue the estranged son of dirty politician Lawrence Beaumont (Forest Whitaker).—
Mike Miller,
EW.com,
26 Apr. 2025
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Viewers will remember that Sheppard showed up in the season premiere, when his investigation of a deadly biker gang intersected with the Organized Crime Control Bureau’s pursuit of a dirty trucking company.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
25 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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Scarred by infighting, the insecure NBC show eventually became a hate-watch for many and had all kinds of stereotypes, from diva catfights to sleazy directors to avaricious personal assistants.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Apr. 2025
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In what must be the darkest Christmas special ever made, Jon Hamm relates his past life of sleazy seduction-coaching by night and torturing digital copies of living people by day, racking up a host of futuristic sins along the way.—
Charles Bramesco,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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The widower is a two-time National Lottery winner who lives an uncomplicated existence in an old mansion both grand and shabby.—
David Rooney,
The Hollywood Reporter,
1 Feb. 2025
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And while this residence’s direct access to Harmony ski run sweetens the deal, its panoramic vistas of the landscape’s natural beauty aren’t too shabby, either.—
Demetrius Simms,
Robb Report,
8 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scuzzy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuzzy. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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