seamy

[ see-mee ]

/ ˈsi mi /

adjective, seam·i·er, seam·i·est.

unpleasant or sordid; low; disagreeable: the seamy side of life.

having, showing, or of the nature of a seam.

QUIZZES

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Commas mark divisions in sentences. Periods end declarative sentences. Apostrophes show possession. Easy, right? Well, punctuation can get pretty tricky—fast. Think you got what it takes to be a punctuation expert? Take our quiz to prove it!

Question 1 of 10

Which of the options below is the best punctuation for the sentence? It__s your turn to pick the movie __ but your sister gets to pick the board game we _ re going to play.

Its your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie but your sister gets to pick the board game were going to play.

It’s your turn to pick the movie, but your sister gets to pick the board game we’re going to play.

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Origin of seamy

1595–1605; seam + -y¹; in transferred senses alluding to the unpresentable appearance of the inside of a garment, i.e., where the seams show

SYNONYMS FOR seamy

1 squalid, rough, coarse, nasty.

SEE SYNONYMS FOR seamy ON THESAURUS.COM

OTHER WORDS FROM seamy

seam·i·ness, noun

Words nearby seamy

seamless, seamoth, seamount, seamster, seamstress, seamy, seamy side, sean, seanad éireann, seance, seaperch

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for seamy

This is nudity as lifestyle, health, openness — not seamy or steamy.
Young, Hot, and Nude: Ryan McGinley’s Body Count|Tim Teeman|October 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From college coaches to Herman Cain and now Bill Richardson, the seamy stories just keep on coming.
Bill Richardson, Herman Cain, Jerry Sandusky: Sex Scandal Saturation|Howard Kurtz|December 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
The seamy side of British democracy was appropriately symbolized.
Rupert’s See-No-Evil Tactics|Geoffrey Robertson|July 19, 2011|DAILY BEAST
And the disclosure that Abedin is pregnant added an overlay of pathos to the seamy tale.
Weiner’s Last Words|Howard Kurtz|June 16, 2011|DAILY BEAST

While some have sailed right past the seamy details, others have seen their careers damaged beyond repair.
Randy Quaid Is a Genius Actor—Honest!|Stephen Farber|July 1, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Never before have we had the seamy side of glorious war so well depicted.
The Little Regiment|Stephen Crane
You get to see the seamy side of a civilization, you know, when you live there yourself.
You Don't Make Wine Like the Greeks Did|David E. Fisher
The first nine satires present a wonderfully vivid picture of the seamy side of life at Rome at the end of the first century.
Helps to Latin Translation at Sight|Edmund Luce
Of course, the caricaturing of pictures has its seamy as well as its smooth side.
The Confessions of a Caricaturist, Vol. 1 (of 2)|Harry Furniss
But even war, as the philosopher remarked, has its seamy side, and the enemy did not appear.
The War in the Air; Vol. 1|Walter Raleigh.

British Dictionary definitions for seamy

seamy

/ (ˈsiːmɪ) /

adjective seamier or seamiest

showing the least pleasant aspect; sordid

(esp of the inner side of a garment) showing many seams

Derived forms of seamy

seaminess, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

seamy

adjective, seam·i·er, seam·i·est.

QUIZZES

TAKE THIS QUIZ TO SEE WHAT YOU KNOW ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL PUNCTUATION!

Origin of seamy

SYNONYMS FOR seamy

OTHER WORDS FROM seamy

Words nearby seamy

Words related to seamy

Example sentences from the Web for seamy

British Dictionary definitions for seamy

adjective seamier or seamiest

Derived forms of seamy