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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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
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
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 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
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
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 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
-
Soon, survey crews showed up, bulldozers were spotted along dusty roads, and the Army Corps of Engineers arranged private meetings.—
Rachel Monroe,
New Yorker,
14 May 2026
-
In the past, artificial greenery may have looked, well, fake—but today’s faux plants are a far cry from their dusty counterparts.—
Kate Donovan,
Southern Living,
13 May 2026
Adjective
-
Inside, filthy soldiers press up against the wood.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
12 May 2026
-
Baker said while Fike's immediate surroundings were filthy, a brand-new hospital bed, urinal and wheelchair were available at the home.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
-
The menu was a list of greasy-spoon breakfasts and gut-bomb lunches.—
Michael Deeds
Updated May 14,
Idaho Statesman,
14 May 2026
-
These tips can help keep your fridge door handles free from greasy fingerprints, mystery grime, and everyday kitchen messes.—
Jessica Safavimehr,
Southern Living,
14 May 2026
Adjective
-
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills alum wore her hair slicked back in a low bun, dark black eyeliner to bring out her eyes, and a light pink lip.—
Ingrid Vasquez,
PEOPLE,
19 May 2026
-
Clad in black and concealing their faces, the rioters hurled dangerous flares and pyrotechnics directly onto the playing surface.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
How To Properly Load A Dishwasher To properly load a dishwasher for maximum cleaning power, place dishes in the dishwasher with the dirty side facing the jets, with taller items around the outside.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
-
Use the packing cubes to separate clean and dirty clothes for the duration of your cruise.—
Kelsey Glennon,
Travel + Leisure,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
As polished-glam and old-Hollywood as the references were, there were moments that also felt sleazy and fun in the way that Hollywood in 2007 did, when getting photographed pouring out of a car on the way into the club was a rite of passage and full of its own twisted promise.—
Julissa James,
Los Angeles Times,
15 May 2026
-
Within a decade, TMZ made its name with a combination of sleazy and sensational celebrity news.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
24 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Preppy shoes announced their revival with the buzzy boat shoe resurgence of 2024, and its formal cousin, the loafer, isn’t doing too shabby either these days.—
Jaden Thompson,
Footwear News,
13 May 2026
-
All of which is well and good, but the big-picture statistical veracity starts to look a little shabby in the face of the actual end-user experience.—
Anthony Crupi,
Sportico.com,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scuzzy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuzzy. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
