scuzzy

adjective

Definition of scuzzynext
slang
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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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 The Stones are at their best when playing scuzzy blues with the shellac stripped away. — David Harris, SPIN, 6 July 2026 Gone is the attention to process and scuzzy detail that made the first heist film notable, replaced here by a wild, drunken emotional energy that dispenses with story logic and clarity. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025 Back in New York, following Marty’s unimaginable defeat in London, Abel Ferrara appears as a scuzzy street-level gangster who entrusts Marty and his taxi-driving best friend Wally (Tyler Okonma) with his near feral dog. — Peter Debruge, Variety, 1 Dec. 2025 Knight convincingly takes us back to the grimy, scuzzy streets of 1880s East London for a showdown in and out of the boxing ring. — Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for scuzzy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuzzy
  1. dusty
  2. filthy
  3. greasy
  4. black
  5. dirty
  6. blackened
  7. sleazy
  8. shabby
Adjective
  • Don’t make changes, and you’re accused of being a dusty, immovable relic that fights to maintain relevancy.
    — Michael Schneider, Variety, 23 July 2026
  • The 21st-century Red Sox have won four World Series championships, and Galehouse is just a dusty chapter in Red Sox history.
    — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Definition of dusty
Adjective
  • Dozens of people had spent almost a year living outside, filthy and exhausted, and for what?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.
    — Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • Reviewers rave that this one doesn’t leave their skin greasy and absorbs quickly.
    — Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 18 July 2026
  • Environmental factors such as nicotine from cigarette smoke, e-cigarette vapors, or greasy cooking residue can cause fabrics to yellow.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Definition of greasy
Adjective
  • This month biologists at the University of Vermont reported in Nature that the black melanoma is contagious, the tumor cells themselves passing from one fish to the next.
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 27 July 2026
  • Contemporary playgrounds and schoolyards are often designed with minimal shade and artificial materials, like black rubber, concrete and aluminum, that can reach dangerously high surface temperatures when sun-exposed.
    — The Conversation, Fortune, 27 July 2026
Definition of black
Adjective
  • Stuck behind Piastri for the first and second race stints, Norris felt his pace was being compromised by dirty air — the wake from one car that causes a loss in downforce and worse handling for one following closely — coming off his teammate’s car.
    — Luke Smith, New York Times, 27 July 2026
  • The dirty vegan takes a different kick, with kale noodles in a savory, creamy vegan broth topped with corn, steamed tofu, rolled tofu skin, sliced green onions and seasonal vegetables.
    — Justin Brown, AJC.com, 26 July 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 28 Aug. 2025
Definition of blackened
Adjective
  • The only free Bowden is Anna, who could easily be charged for directing her sleazy father to plant drugs at Cady’s place.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 17 July 2026
  • Jason Maddy disappears into multiple roles including the sleazy diner owner, the jolly Napa depot manager who pre-reads everyone’s mail and the wise doctor who treats Tony after a car accident.
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 June 2026
Definition of sleazy
Adjective
  • The influencer, with 24 million plus followers on Instagram, also has a not too shabby career herself.
    — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 July 2026
  • The Giants will almost certainly trade Luis Arraez, almost as much to solve the Casey Schmitt/Matt Chapman logjam as to get premium prospects, but the prospects shouldn’t be shabby, either.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Definition of shabby

Browse Nearby Words

scuzzballs
scuzzy
sea
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Cite this Entry

“Scuzzy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuzzy. Accessed 30 Jul. 2026.

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