Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- adj. Hypocritically, complacently, or effusively earnest; unctuous. See Synonyms at unctuous.
- adj. Sleek.
Wiktionary
- adj. Falsely earnest, smug, or ingratiating.
WordNet 3.0
- adj. unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech
Etymologies
- From smarm, to smear.
Examples
“Can I noninate George Will for a Nobel prize in smarmy?”
“KATZ: Well, we look at folks part of the felt family and the word smarmy comes into play.”
“Nice to meet you," he said in a voice that recalled the smarmy tone of Eddie Haskell complimenting June Cleaver on her fetching outfit.”
“He is best known as the smarmy Psychologist in “Silence of the Lambs.””
“Actually, Hannity always looks a little smarmy, which is one reason he's so irritating, but this is fine.”
“Citing a "smarmy" letter that Washington wrote in 1757, bemoaning his lot to the commander in chief, Lord Loudoun, Mr. Clary highlights some especially outspoken, self-pitying and "whining" comments.”
“I did not want to do this and it makes me feel kind of smarmy but you leave me no choice.”
“This kind of smarmy O-bomb-A cheerleading bullshit needs to be called out every time it appears.”
“Of course it is needless to say this was dressed up with faux-creative writing skills, accompanied by the kind of smarmy posturing and ad hominems that so frequently characterizes the attacks from “the left”.”
“He was kind of smarmy and snotty in his response when he said "That's an impressive pledge, Joe...seeing as you have so much on the line... and you'll have such an opportunity to fulfill that pledge".”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘smarmy’.
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January 2012
bloviate, pastiche, apparat, facile, paroxysm, pique, bedfellow, pedigree, tutelage, protege, protégé, retroactive and 196 more...
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Words cool peeps use
These are words I have overheard, or over-read, or had whispered in my ear :-)
loquacious, zygote, epigone, kismet, philotheoparoptesism, venal, imbroglio, ephemeral, smarmy, machination, callipygian, lexicon and 8 more...
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The Storybook Words
Words from children's literature that feed young imaginations and spark a love of words and language.
peril, sparkle, fizzle, kerfuffle, lachrymose, heebie-jeebies, turtleneck, peacoat, smarmy, daffodil, snapdragon, grouch and 1 more...
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It's All Just Words.
quixotic, penisaurus rex, plibt, pot, polaroid, gemütlichkeit, hey! pooper scoop..., nowhere, anywhere, somewhere, elsewhere, wherever and 80 more...
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Oh yeah? You and what army?
For more captains, see the O Captain! My Captain! list.
smarmy, an army of me, colonel sanders, colonel parker, dumbledore's army, major catastrophe, barmy, majordomo, corporal punishment, private eye, private property, private parts and 59 more...
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mots justes
No true synonyms, no other word will do.
dysphemism, nyehre, conflate, onomatopœic, galumph, zeitgeist, mercenary, theomeny, git, snarky, sass, smarmy and 43 more...
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words I can use that won't confuse
great words that will be understood by most people sound great and add flavour to my conversations
flummox, rigamarole, colloquialisms, smarmy, tweak, synchronicity, scrutinize, ruthless, mortified
arjunpanda126 what a terrible word Sep 27, 2009
marky Another word I despise. Truly Disgusting and ridiculous word. Dec 23, 2008