1
2
as in bastard
a person whose behavior is offensive to others
a real sleaze who is constantly mooching off friends, and friends of friends
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in cheese
that which is of low quality or worth
the TV networks wouldn't be airing such sleaze if the public wasn't watching it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sleaze
Beyond its glitz and sleaze, Bright Lights is a sobering lesson on why partying does not always soothe a troubled soul.
—
Andrew Holter, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
The guy was a sleaze, but there’s a pretty big gap between sleaziness and murderousness.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
The music sounds like a terrible Brooklyn electro indie-sleaze band opening for Crystal Castles or Yachts at Studio B, then rushing home to make sure the Tivo caught Gossip Girl.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2025
However, unlike that film's director, Claire Denis, Rollin is never afraid to indulge in camp, and occasionally outright sleaze, to juice his narrative at just the right moments.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleaze
Andrew Holter, The Atlantic, 31 Dec. 2025
The guy was a sleaze, but there’s a pretty big gap between sleaziness and murderousness.
—Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 12 Dec. 2025
The music sounds like a terrible Brooklyn electro indie-sleaze band opening for Crystal Castles or Yachts at Studio B, then rushing home to make sure the Tivo caught Gossip Girl.
—Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 22 Nov. 2025
However, unlike that film's director, Claire Denis, Rollin is never afraid to indulge in camp, and occasionally outright sleaze, to juice his narrative at just the right moments.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sleaze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sleaze
Noun
-
Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026
-
You are being spied on by a pervert.—
Jay Ruttenberg,
New Yorker,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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One order contains 17 grams (g) of protein thanks to the egg, cheese, and bacon.—
Jennifer Berger,
Verywell Health,
27 Apr. 2026
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The restaurant also runs additional weekday specials, including a $12 cheese pizza on Tuesdays and a $10 double cheeseburger on Wednesdays, though the Sunday spaghetti special may get you the most bang for your buck.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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This achievement offers important lessons for those seeking to defend democracy from authoritarian creep around the world.—
Elizabeth Shackelford,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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If the reader cannot answer those questions quickly, doubt creeps in.—
JD Barker,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
Noun
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There’s an almost-friendship-ending rift over husbands (Brent Thiessen is Cee Cee’s, a cool-guy theater director; Ben Jacoby is Bertie’s, a rich jerk) that feels deeply dated and, in the context of the women’s tell-each-other-everything friendship, just plain weird.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
23 Apr. 2026
-
The jerk chicken is rubbed in a sweet honey glaze.—
Jenn Harris,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Having junk hauled away costs money.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
26 Apr. 2026
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For me, Storage Wars was an addiction and Darrell was the loveable loser who was always looking for that $40 bill in a pile of junk.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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After spending a decade and a half in the brains of a meth kingpin and a slimeball attorney, Gilligan wanted his next protagonist to be a force for good.—
Ethan Shanfeld,
Variety,
7 Nov. 2025
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Now, these slimeballs no longer pose a threat to public safety.—
Greg Norman,
FOXNews.com,
18 July 2025
Noun
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There’s some Streisand, too, and a big dose of Andrea Martin, specifically Martin’s signature SCTV character Edith Prickley, that bawdy, gawdy ham with all the bravado of a Catskills clown.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
22 Apr. 2026
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Once completed, the $5 million acquisition will ensure the theater has a permanent home, a place where skateboarding clowns and leek-haired onions can continue to frolic and dance for decades to come.—
Todd Martens,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
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From the Japanese point of view, leaving rubbish piled up in a stadium would be a bother to others.—
Stephen Wade,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Apr. 2026
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Local villages are actively monitoring the oceans and reefs in their environment, and backlash to a recent plan from a billionaire Australian to build a giant plant to incinerate rubbish in Fiji was loud and well organized, says Singh.—
MIchelle Duff,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sleaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sleaze. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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