seedy
Americanadjective
-
seedier,
comparative
-
seediest
superlative
adjective
-
shabby or unseemly in appearance
seedy clothes
-
(of a plant) at the stage of producing seeds
-
informal not physically fit; sickly
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Etymology
Origin of seedy
Explanation
When a place is seedy, it's sleazy, run-down — not the kind of place you'd take your mom. The East Village of New York was once known for being seedy, but now it's safe for children of all ages. It's a mystery how the word seedy came to mean darkly rundown, slummy, and seamy, but it probably came from the appearance of flowers after they've shed their seeds. That's when they start to lose their color and eventually die. You'll find seedy used to describe places like dive bars, brothels, and those sections of town where dealers ply their drugs. Certain writers, such as Dennis Cooper and even Charles Dickens, are fascinated by the seedy underbelly of life in big cities, in scenes populated by wretched people and other outcasts.
Vocabulary lists containing seedy
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
This Week In Culture: January 11–17, 2020
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Vocabulary Video Contest (2013) - List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
The interview, filmed in a Philadelphia studio dressed up to resemble a seedy motel in a wink at the laptop scandal, quickly became a viral sensation, generating millions of views.
From Salon ● Aug. 2, 2026
This does not mean that companies doing seedy, speculative things won’t be included in the S&P 500.
From Slate ● Jun. 5, 2026
In counterpoint to the expanding mystery, much of which revolves around a seedy bar named the Birdhouse, is Graham’s cautious courting of the proprietress of a popular bakery.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 14, 2026
"I felt really seedy negotiating with them, but I was in so much pain, I just had no choice," he says.
From BBC ● Mar. 24, 2026
The Saturn Rings was the kind of seedy and dirty place that made you want to dunk your whole body in a giant bottle of hand sanitizer.
From "Shelter (Book One): A Mickey Bolitar Novel" by Harlan Coben
Stephanie Foggett is focused on the darker, seedier parts of that ecosystem.
From Slate ● Aug. 9, 2022
That world-weary take on Hedwig fits Olney’s seedier vision for the show, which got a glitzy Broadway makeover but had black-box origins off-Broadway.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 22, 2021
Both books are set in the seedier parts of Massachusetts.
From New York Times ● Aug. 23, 2021
Prosecutors called the case an “extreme” example of the darker and seedier side of modern technology.
From Seattle Times ● May 13, 2021
I spent a couple of hours visiting the seedier taverns around the University, making casual conversations, asking casual questions.
From "The Name of the Wind" by Patrick Rothfuss
His clientele has flipped upside down, from some of the most refined people in the New York area to some of the seediest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
A newbie may have to endure performing at the seediest of clubs before moving on to bigger and better opportunities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025
Even if you’re trying to avoid any sort of retail establishment that might be hawking Christmas wares this season, you’re still likely to hear this song in the seediest of bodegas.
From Salon ● Nov. 30, 2018
On David Zinn’s utilitarian set, an all-purpose, wood-paneled bar, scenes are staged with an assurance that smartly conjures the seediest of interiors and most exalted of landscapes.
From Washington Post ● Feb. 28, 2017
Our gentlemen are in the shabbiest of coats and seediest of hats, while our ladies wear grey cloaks, and round, soup-plate bonnets.
From Rome in 1860 by Edward Dicey
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.
