smarmy

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.

Williams wants to impress upon folks that he is an iconoclast, and it comes off as smarmy.

From Salon • Jan. 10, 2025

It starred Coleman as “Buffalo Bill” Bittinger, the smarmy, arrogant, dimwitted daytime talk show host who, unhappy at being relegated to the small-time market of Buffalo, New York, takes it out on everyone around him.

From Seattle Times • May 17, 2024

Bloom — and the script by Jason Hall, Zach Baylin and Alex Tse — positions Danny as savvy but smarmy: an outside-the-box innovator with visions of “untapped demographics” dancing in his head.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 23, 2023

So why do I call this calming music “avant-garde jazz” and not the smarmy candy known as “smooth jazz”? Simply: smooth jazz is a category.

From New York Times • Jul. 5, 2023

“Put a word in his ear, in that smarmy way of yours. Suggest delicately that a reward might do wonders.”

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer