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
-
Dip a microfiber cloth into the water and then gently scrub away any greasy spots on your cabinets.—
Ashlyn Needham,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
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And because Rhode is all about keeping skin health front of mind, the product ensures lasting hydration that never enters greasy territory.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
5 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Brunch might mean a humus bowl layered with lamb and pickled onion, or a shakshuka made with black lime tomato stew.—
Rai Mincey,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
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The ensemble featured a visible black underwire and corset boning at the bust and torso, while the sheer black fabric created an illusion of draping around her bust and the rest of her body.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
8 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
-
Cillian Murphy plays the titular Steve, a beloved teacher at a controversial school that uses public funds to house violent and antisocial boys in a shabby old mansion.—
Richard Lawson,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
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The best is when Lee finds Wendell in the shabby living quarters above the bookstore.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scuzzy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scuzzy. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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