1
as in corrupt
having loose sexual morals
a sleazy lothario who is always on the make
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cheap
of low quality
a sleazy yellow coat that was marked down to practically nothing and not worth even that
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3
as in flimsy
being of a material lacking in sturdiness or substance
these cheap, sleazy curtains would do a poor job of blocking those wintertime blasts of cold air
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4
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
several letters in the sleazy motel's neon "vacancy" sign had burned out
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sleazy
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
Best sketch of the night: Be careful asking about the ‘bottomless’ mimosas
The Goggins gift for playing characters who are both sleazy and incredibly alluring was on full display in this Mother’s Day sketch about a brunch that gets very, very dirty.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
The starry cast included Matthew Lillard as the sleazy TV star that Zach's girlfriend dumps him for, as well as Gabrielle Union, Anna Paquin, Kieran Culkin, and the late Paul Walker.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleazy
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
Best sketch of the night: Be careful asking about the ‘bottomless’ mimosas
The Goggins gift for playing characters who are both sleazy and incredibly alluring was on full display in this Mother’s Day sketch about a brunch that gets very, very dirty.
—Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2025
The starry cast included Matthew Lillard as the sleazy TV star that Zach's girlfriend dumps him for, as well as Gabrielle Union, Anna Paquin, Kieran Culkin, and the late Paul Walker.
—Jessica Wang, EW.com, 30 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleazy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleazy
Adjective
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And then reality crashes down around them in a series of scenes that expose the cruel hypocrisy of Iran’s corrupt system (which purports to uphold morality, but allows men in positions of authority to indulge themselves in egregious ways).—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
11 July 2025
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Rachel and Ray need to go on the run after Ray’s investigation into a corrupt pharmaceutical executive puts their live in peril.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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With a price tag of $99.99, the half-size bottles weren’t exactly cheap by the ounce—but that didn’t prevent stocks from selling out fast, spurred by excellent word of mouth.—
David Thomas Tao,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Shop the Asus Vivobook Go 15.6-Inch FHD Slim Laptop, which is marked down to its cheapest price of the year.—
Clara McMahon,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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For every high-quality pair, there’s a dozen more with flimsy fasteners, scratchy fabric, and a poor fit.—
Sara Coughlin,
SELF,
2 July 2025
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In Santa Barbara, for instance, there isn’t a law requiring seismic retrofit of apartment buildings with a flimsy ground floor — often held up above a carport or garage.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
29 June 2025
Adjective
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Now, as soon as next year, the historic campus will transform into housing with 213 apartments as the city's Department of Metropolitan Development and private developers redevelop dilapidated buildings downtown into residential and commercial spaces.—
Alysa Guffey,
IndyStar,
2 July 2025
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But Spencer said replacing old, dilapidated buildings with newer ones could also put the district in a better position to compete with charter schools.—
Silas Allen,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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Jeff is a bit of a voyeur or peeping Tom, though not in a perverted way.—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
2 June 2025
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These were the years in which capitalism shed its pitiless light on the absurd British soul, with its deep striations of caste and station, its postcolonial taint, most of all its perverted emotional core, full of love and loathing for its own extremes of domination and servitude.—
Rachel Cusk,
Harper's Magazine,
19 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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Vegas bounced back from a terrible loss to the Fever with an 86-68 win over the Sun on Sunday.—
Kilty Cleary,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 July 2025
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And because of that, it’s shielded us from the terrible things that happen downstream in the supply chain.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Sourcing Journal,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Wearing their swimsuits, the couple played around in the foam that bubbled up on the deck in clouds of thick, frothy bubbles.—
Kimberlee Speakman,
People.com,
28 June 2025
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Also worth watching this month are a frothy Bravo debut, a speculative drama about the end of Denmark, and a golf comedy starring Owen Wilson.—
Judy Berman,
Time,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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What’s a neglected part of your ME—your health, learning, or joy?—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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But the area where these cuts will be felt most acutely is with respect to elder abuse, which is already a neglected area of health care and social services.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sleazy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleazy. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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