scummy
Americanadjective
-
consisting of or having scum.
-
Informal. despicable; contemptible.
That was a scummy trick.
adjective
-
of, resembling, consisting of, or covered with scum
-
dirty, unpleasant, or nasty
Etymology
Origin of scummy
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Now, the only way to get tickets is through resellers, which feels scummy at the very least.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 3, 2025
Listen, spin docs: Quit rebranding pols who’ve acted scummy!
From Washington Post • Sep. 22, 2022
Darwin was the first modern observer to drop a pebble into the scummy pond of disgust studies.
From New York Times • Dec. 27, 2021
Scott definitely wears a few things that feel appropriately scummy; watch for Wu-Tang Clan and Ghostface tees and a weird yellow shirt covered in mouths.
From Slate • Jun. 12, 2020
The oily, scummy water lay still in front of them, an occasional ripple breaking languidly on the pebbles.
From "The Amber Spyglass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
