skeevy

adjective

skee·​vy ˈskē-vē How to pronounce skeevy (audio)
skeevier; skeeviest
slang
: morally or physically repulsive : disgusting, sleazy

Examples of skeevy in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Malcolm’s cousin comes over — a super-skeevy bro named Darren (played by Birkett Turton like a depraved Carson Daly), who brings along an Eastern-European-model-who-speaks-next-to-no-English named Minka (Eden Weiss). Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 14 Nov. 2025 But the arrival of a skeevy stranger sends things spiraling, exposing dark pasts and lies. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 21 Apr. 2021 The series of skeevy guys are played by actors known for playing likable men on TV, including Adam Brody, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Sam Richardson, Chris Lowell and Max Greenfield. Los Angeles Times, 24 Dec. 2020 Fennell set out to defy expectations with her supporting cast as well, selecting beloved figures to play the secretly skeevy men. Washington Post, 24 Dec. 2020

Word History

Etymology

probably from skeeve "to disgust, be disgusted by" (borrowed from the stem of Italian schifare "to loathe, feel disgust for," earlier "to shun, avoid," borrowed from Old French eschiver) + -y entry 1 — more at eschew

Note: The -v- in skeeve may reflect lax consonant articulation in southern Italian dialects, perceived as voicing by non-dialect speakers.

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of skeevy was in 1976

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Skeevy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/skeevy. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.

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