seedy

American  

[see-dee] / ˈsi di /

adjective

seedier, seediest

1. abounding in seed.

2. containing many seeds, as a piece of fruit.

3. gone to seed; bearing seeds.

4. poorly kept; run-down; shabby.

5. shabbily dressed; unkempt.

   a seedy old tramp.

6. physically run-down; under the weather.

   He felt a bit seedy after his operation.

7. somewhat disreputable; degraded.

   a seedy hotel.

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seedy British  

/ ˈsiːdɪ /

adjective

1. shabby or unseemly in appearance

   seedy clothes

2. (of a plant) at the stage of producing seeds

3. informal not physically fit; sickly

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Other Word Forms

• seedily
  adverb
• seediness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of seedy

First recorded in 1565–75; seed + -y ¹

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.

Example Sentences

Seedy but vital, that world was filled with magical detail: a chorus of chubby overage showgirls, a live bear led calmly through Lola Lola’s dressing room, a mysteriously sad and silent clown overlooking all.

From The New Yorker • Oct. 19, 2015

Seedy, stinky and garbage-strewn, the neighboring waterfront strip languished for years.

From New York Times • Apr. 1, 2015

Charleston looked as if it might steal the match when Jon Gruenewald took a nifty cross-field pass from Seedy Bah, came clear and shot.

From Washington Post • Jul. 28, 2011

Oakland’s Journey From Seedy to Sizzling Just a few years ago, the Uptown Oakland neighborhood was mostly a dead zone after business hours: an intimidating landscape of gaping doorways, barren sidewalks and abandoned storefronts.

From New York Times • May 2, 2010

Seedy men with mashed-in faces waved their cigars at tall, well-dressed businessmen carrying attache cases.

From "The Contender" by Robert Lipsyte

Related Words

• crummy
• decaying
• decrepit
• dingy
• grubby
• scruffy
• shabby
• sleazy
• squalid
• tacky