seamy

[ see-mee ]

/ ˈsi mi /

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See synonyms for seamy on Thesaurus.com

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.

OTHER WORDS FOR seamy

1 squalid, rough, coarse, nasty.

See synonyms for seamy on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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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

OTHER WORDS FROM seamy

seam·i·ness, noun

Words nearby seamy

seamoth, seamount, sea mouse, seamster, seamstress, seamy, seamy side, Sean, Seanad Éireann, séance, sea nettle

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use seamy in a sentence

The seamy undersilicon of AI—its discrimination, its invasiveness, its deception—didn’t, though, discourage campers from wanting to join the field, as both Zhang and Patil are considering.
Want ethical AI? Hand the keys to middle schoolers.|Sarah Scoles|November 21, 2021|Popular-Science
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
The mountain ranges were bathed in sunshine and the scarred and seamy face of stern old Errigal seemed almost to smile.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland|Joseph Tatlow
It is strange, but undoubtedly true, that the English nation has no "seamy side."
Punch, or the London Charivari, Vol. 109, August 3, 1895|Various
He'd go through 'Frisco, and out at the far end, without so much as guessing the place had a seamy side to it.
Wandering Heath|Sir Arthur Thomas Quiller-Couch
I read him with keen interest, only wishing that he saw the seamy side of things rather less habitually.
George Eliot's Life, Vol. II (of 3)|George Eliot
Below this were strata of trachitic breccia and augite; the formation was then seamy to an unknown depth.
Scientific American Supplement, No. 392, July 7, 1883|Various

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

OTHER WORDS FOR seamy

Origin of seamy

OTHER WORDS FROM seamy

Words nearby seamy

Words related to seamy

How to use seamy in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for seamy

Derived forms of seamy