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 safety curtain that greets audiences filing in for the third Broadway revival of Glengarry Glen Ross depicts a set of steak knives, the infamous second prize in a contest for the highest sales figures among colleagues at a scuzzy Chicago real estate office.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
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 safety curtain that greets audiences filing in for the third Broadway revival of Glengarry Glen Ross depicts a set of steak knives, the infamous second prize in a contest for the highest sales figures among colleagues at a scuzzy Chicago real estate office.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for scuzzy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scuzzy
Adjective
-
With Onum folded into Falcon, logs stop being dusty records and start becoming live intelligence.—
Tony Bradley,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
There, water to sustain such a colony may be trapped less than a foot beneath the dusty red surface.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
12 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Or find a less filthy campmate.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Away from a filthy Superdome and Convention Center where they had been holed up for days.—
Suzette Hackney,
USA Today,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Another notable benefit is the formula’s lightweight, non-greasy texture, which melts into the skin without feeling heavy or weighed down.—
Melony Forcier,
PEOPLE,
14 Sep. 2025
-
This is not an oily, greasy ramen, but rather, light and flavorful.—
Kim Kay,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
At around the same time, a tall, college-aged man carrying a black backpack made his way up the stairwell of the nearby Losee Center, a four-story concrete building that houses the student welcome center, among other things.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Tillman wore a stunning all-white suit and bowtie, while Cumming sported a chic black suit accented with white outlines, and a giant pussybow tie.—
James Factora,
Them.,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Wearing shoes in the home tracks soil from outside, leaving floors dirtier and requiring more frequent sweeping.—
Jolie Kerr,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Sep. 2025
-
Laptop screens get spattered, smeared, dusty, and dirty from frequent use.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
9 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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The land, unfenced, abuts a bald blackened hillside that must be public land.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Aug. 2025
-
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
Adjective
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To Robin Wright’s multimillionaire gallery owner Laura, her son’s new girlfriend is a sleazy opportunist, a gold digger who lies about her academic and professional credentials and goads Laura by going down on Daniel (Laurie Davidson) in Laura’s house with the door open.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
10 Sep. 2025
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The movie is set in the palpably sleazy East Village of the late Nineties, and the music aligns with that vibe.—
Brian Hiatt,
Rolling Stone,
29 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Meg lived in a somewhat offbeat district, but the tall shabby houses, some of them painted in garish colours, were soon left behind and gave place to discreetly glistening cream or white facades behind one of which Leonora lived.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
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Despite a massively lower budget, the writing is much better and the special effects really aren’t too shabby!—
Erik Kain,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scuzzy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuzzy. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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