Dictionary

seedy en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• /ˈsiːdi/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English sedy, equivalent to seed + -y. The senses with negative connotation, first attested by 1725 in slang, originally especially “poor, out of money”, probably arose from the metaphor of a flower that has gone to seed, and is no longer considered beautiful. From there the word came to be used to describe unwell or past-their-prime people, and parallelly run-down places and by extension low-income or crime-affected urban areas. Compare the figurative expressions go to seed (by 1817), etc., originally in reference to plants, “cease flowering as seeds develop”.

Meanings

1. Literal senses: ▸ Containing or full of seeds.
   • Pomegranates are as seedy as any fruit you are likely to see.
2. Literal senses: ▸ Seedlike; having the flavour of seeds.
3. (colloquial) Literal senses: ▸ Having a peculiar flavour supposed to be derived from the weeds growing among the vines; said of certain kinds of French brandy.
4. (figuratively) Inferior in condition or quality. ▸ Shabby, run-down, possibly connected with bad, dishonest or illegal activities, somewhat disreputable.
   • The healing power of alcohol / Only works on scrapes and nicks / And not on girls in seedy bars / Who drown themselves in it 2007, Bayside, “Choice Hops and Bottled Self Esteem”, in The Walking Wounded:
   • Sleazy city / Seedy films / Breathing so heavy / Next to my neighbour / Let’s get acquainted 1981, “Seedy Films”, in Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret, performed by Soft Cell:
5. (figuratively) Inferior in condition or quality. ▸ Untidy, unkempt.
   • His seedy, dirt-smudged visage caused her to look at him askance.
   • Besides the broad-brimmed hat, he was distinguished by a spotted tie, a pair of seedy check trousers rather baggy in the seat, and a cut-away coat, much too tight for him. 1913, Norman Lindsay, A Curate in Bohemia, Sydney: N.S.W. Bookstall Co., published 1932, page 96:
6. (figuratively) Inferior in condition or quality. ▸ Infirm, unwell, gone to seed.
   • With her aching back and pronounced limp, she was feeling particularly seedy today.
7. (figuratively) Inferior in condition or quality. ▸ Suffering the effects of a hangover.
   • After last night’s party we were all feeling pretty seedy.

Forms

Deriveds

seedy toe · unseedy · seediness · seedily

Synonyms

sleazy

Translations (71)

cs zchátralý (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · da snusket (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · ro sămânțos (full of seeds) · nl ellendig (infirm, gone to seed) · nl louche (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · de schmuddelig (untidy, unkempt) · fi huonovointinen (infirm, gone to seed) · de schlecht (infirm, gone to seed) · es con resaca (suffering effects of hangover) · it bassofondo (untidy, unkempt) · fi huonokuntoinen (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · bg пълен със семена (full of seeds) · cs ošuntělý (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · bg западнал (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · nl verwaarloosd (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · th ยุ่งเหยิง (untidy, unkempt) · bg махмурлия (suffering effects of hangover) · fi nuhruinen (untidy, unkempt) · cy hadog (full of seeds) · nl slordig (untidy, unkempt) · hu kopott (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · de verkatert (suffering effects of hangover) · fi likainen (untidy, unkempt) · cs sešlý (untidy, unkempt) · th ชำรุดทรุดโทรม (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · de elend (infirm, gone to seed) · pl obskurny (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · fi rähjäinen (untidy, unkempt) · nl met veel zaden (full of seeds) · es desgreñado (untidy, unkempt) · fi runsassiemeninen (full of seeds) · nl vies (untidy, unkempt) · th ทรุดโทรม (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · de voller Samenkörner (full of seeds) · es desorganizado (untidy, unkempt) · fr glauque (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · es de mala fama (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · nl miserabel (suffering effects of hangover) · pl zaniedbany (untidy, unkempt) · nl onverzorgd (untidy, unkempt) · pl zapuszczony (untidy, unkempt) · es endeble (infirm, gone to seed) · pl zapuszczony (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · es resacoso (suffering effects of hangover) · fi huonokuntoinen (infirm, gone to seed) · nl slecht (suffering effects of hangover) · th ไม่สบาย (infirm, gone to seed) · es de mala muerte (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · fi huonomaineinen (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · de zwielichtig (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · th รุงรัง (untidy, unkempt) · pl niedysponowany (infirm, gone to seed) · de elend (suffering effects of hangover) · es semilloso (full of seeds) · it indecente (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · bg опърпан (untidy, unkempt) · de ungepflegt (untidy, unkempt) · de heruntergekommen (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · es desacreditado (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · es indecente (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · es mugriento (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · nl ellendig (suffering effects of hangover) · nl slecht (infirm, gone to seed) · cs zpustlý (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · fr louche (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · fi huonokuntoinen (suffering effects of hangover) · de anrüchig (shabby, run-down, disreputable) · cs zpustlý (untidy, unkempt) · fi huonovointinen (suffering effects of hangover) · es despelotado (untidy, unkempt) · pl ziarnisty (full of seeds)