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
That arrangement was sleazy enough.
—
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
In the film, McAdams plays Linda, a timid employee who is stranded on a desert island with her sleazy boss (Dylan O’Brien) and begins to resort to a more primal personality.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026
The Republican candidate was no mystery, a sleazy tabloid character since the 1970s, and the warnings about what his presidency would look like — including from GOP leadership that later bent the knee to the MAGA movement — have proved remarkably prescient.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2026
Matty does this by engaging the Kingstons’ favorite tech whiz — a sleazy genius named Carl — to alter her old text-message chain with Belvin, to add a fake text where Matty gets angry with her friend for asking her to retrieve some personal effects from the office.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleazy
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2026
In the film, McAdams plays Linda, a timid employee who is stranded on a desert island with her sleazy boss (Dylan O’Brien) and begins to resort to a more primal personality.
—Jenelle Riley, Variety, 20 Jan. 2026
The Republican candidate was no mystery, a sleazy tabloid character since the 1970s, and the warnings about what his presidency would look like — including from GOP leadership that later bent the knee to the MAGA movement — have proved remarkably prescient.
—Miles Klee, Rolling Stone, 18 Jan. 2026
Matty does this by engaging the Kingstons’ favorite tech whiz — a sleazy genius named Carl — to alter her old text-message chain with Belvin, to add a fake text where Matty gets angry with her friend for asking her to retrieve some personal effects from the office.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleazy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleazy
Adjective
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And right now, these corrupt billionaires, these greedy corporations, are determining all avenues of our life, all types of policies.—
Jim DeFede,
CBS News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Just as all British became painted as corrupt as part of their national character, so too did all Native people become seen as savage by their biological nature.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Unlike rivals giving subscribers a choice of ad-free plans or cheaper tiers with ads, Amazon defaulted to ads for all subscribers to Prime, allowing an opt-out for an extra premium.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
13 Mar. 2026
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Rivian has been teasing the R2 for a while now, dangling the promise of a smaller, cheaper, more attainable version of its beloved R1S in front of adventure-hungry buyers who couldn’t quite stretch to the $77,000-plus sticker of its halo SUV.—
Kevin Sintumuang,
Outside,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The second priciest option on our list, Alpert notes that the silhouette gives more of a house shoe vibe than traditional slipper qualities, and while there’s no tread, the soles don’t feel flimsy.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
10 Mar. 2026
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My first pair of Hunter rain boots actually came from my grandmother, who has an incredibly sharp eye for great shoes (and zero patience for flimsy ones).—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
9 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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My father in his gray Nehru jacket thumbing through Urdu poetry books in the library of a dilapidated but grand Mahmudabad palace, near his hometown of Lucknow.—
Divia Thani,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
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On Saturday, Aurora Fire Rescue held a grand opening ceremony for a new station that replaced an old dilapidated firehouse.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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This creates a jarring effect as the significance of her busy endeavours is sublimated by the perverted impulse to judge her physical form.—
Sophie Monks Kaufman,
IndieWire,
16 Feb. 2026
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Udo Kier is the perverted master of ceremonies in this three-ring circus of deviancy from director Paul Morrissey, which takes Frankenstein’s romantic necrophilia and distills it to its glistening, taboo essence.—
Katie Rife,
Vulture,
9 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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While youth suicide remains a leading cause of death, the youth suicide rate is down in Colorado, and the number of kids reporting poor mental health also dropped from 23% in 2023 to 14% in 2025.—
Shaun Boyd,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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The launch came amid overcast skies and a weather forecast that was reduced to just a 75% chance for good conditions, according to Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron, which also noted a moderate risk for poor conditions at the booster landing site.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Duff appeared on the frothy teen drama's third season in a meta role as the famous actress Olivia Burke.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Mar. 2026
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Below, some of the finest, high-quality ruffled bedding around the web for creating the frothy bedscape of your daydreams.—
Yelena Moroz Alpert,
Architectural Digest,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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When first performed at L.A. Opera a decade ago, the lavish production, co-produced with English National Opera, helped recover a neglected opera.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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His refusal to weaponize suffering is one of his most important — and most neglected— lessons.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleazy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleazy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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