seamy

[ see-mee ]

/ ˈsi mi /

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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.

Nearby words

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 MORE SYNONYMS FOR seamy ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsseam·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples 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 Formsseaminess, 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

Word Origin and History for seamy

seamy

adj.

c.1600, "least pleasant, worst," in figurative phrase seamy side, from seam + -y (2); the seamy side of a sewn garment being the less attractive, and thus typically turned in. The popularity of the figurative sense likely is due to its use by Shakespeare in "Othello" IV.ii.146: "Some such Squire he was That turn'd your wits the seamy-side without, And made you to suspect me with the Moore."

seamy

adjective, seam·i·er, seam·i·est.

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of seamy

Examples from the Web for seamy

British Dictionary definitions for seamy

seamy

adjective seamier or seamiest

Word Origin and History for seamy

seamy