1
2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
a real sleaze who is constantly mooching off friends, and friends of friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cheese
that which is of low quality or worth
the TV networks wouldn't be airing such sleaze if the public wasn't watching it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sleaze
The music sounds like a terrible Brooklyn electro indie-sleaze band opening for Crystal Castles or Yachts at Studio B, then rushing home to make sure the Tivo caught Gossip Girl.
—
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2025
Indie sleaze, the hallucination of a 2000s seedy-chic genre that never fully existed, is in vogue.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
However, unlike that film's director, Claire Denis, Rollin is never afraid to indulge in camp, and occasionally outright sleaze, to juice his narrative at just the right moments.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
A touch of sleaze floated across this upscale-at-first-glance wardrobe.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleaze
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2025
Indie sleaze, the hallucination of a 2000s seedy-chic genre that never fully existed, is in vogue.
—Kieran Press-Reynolds, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2025
However, unlike that film's director, Claire Denis, Rollin is never afraid to indulge in camp, and occasionally outright sleaze, to juice his narrative at just the right moments.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
A touch of sleaze floated across this upscale-at-first-glance wardrobe.
—Lily Templeton, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleaze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleaze
Noun
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Then, about refocusing our attention on the challenges ahead, like pervert incentives and algorithms that aren’t in line with human flourishing.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
13 Jan. 2026
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Also, what many now interpret as Kubrick’s exposé of elite perverts was, in fact, mostly Schnitzler’s doing.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
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For this meal plan, cheese is featured in the omelet at breakfast, in the salad for lunch and paired with grapes for snack.—
Madeline Holcombe,
CNN Money,
9 Feb. 2026
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Just download the app and join My Rewards to get the free burger — topped with egg, bacon, cheese, Hash Rounds and ketchup — at participating locations (no purchase necessary).—
Mike Snider,
AZCentral.com,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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When the gross lord of the manor tries to assault one of Sophie's fellow maids, Sophie stands up to him, but then the violent creep is about to harm Sophie.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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Use this phrase when unrealistic timelines, scope creep, or extra commitments pile up.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Smarmy jerks can get obscenely wealthy in this country just by managing other people’s money.—
Gilad Edelman,
The Atlantic,
7 Feb. 2026
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The food shies away from the typical — no crab rangoon here — for finger foods that harken to cuisines outside the South Pacific, like Jamaican style jerk shrimp skewers ($18) and salmon ceviche ($16).—
Sean Timberlake,
Sacbee.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Other ideas include thrift store shopping, country line dancing, roller skating, karaoke, junk journaling, and getting manicures and pedicures.—
Alicia Rancilio,
Fortune,
9 Feb. 2026
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In uncertain markets, some investors like junk silver because the coins are widely trusted, easy to authenticate and often easy to sell in small increments.—
Angelica Leicht,
CBS News,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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After spending a decade and a half in the brains of a meth kingpin and a slimeball attorney, Gilligan wanted his next protagonist to be a force for good.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Now, these slimeballs no longer pose a threat to public safety.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
18 July 2025
Noun
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Deep cherry red, black, and white come together to create a whimsical world of dice, cards, sad clowns, and a ticking pocketwatch.—
Samantha Brash,
InStyle,
8 Feb. 2026
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These clowns don't even have the courage of their pathetic White supremacist convictions.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Piles of human scraps offer a bottomless buffet to wildlife, and to access that bounty, animals need to be bold enough to rummage through human rubbish but not so bold as to become a threat to people.—
Marina Wang,
Scientific American,
14 Nov. 2025
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Helga once wrestled down a drunk fisherman in the Café, a man of above-average size, and then threw him out like a piece of rubbish; Jens thus transfers most of his weight automatically to her; who is this kid, by the way?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sleaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleaze. Accessed 11 Feb. 2026.
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