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scummy

scummy

2 5.6
Covered with a thin dirty film on the surface
  • adjective
  • /ˈskʌmi/
: sucio
  • Their bucket spills fish and scummy water all over Terrell's shoes.
  • scummy water
  • scummy pond

First things first are these alive wooden scummy multi vitamins.

Examples

  • She sat in the water until it was scummy and cold, looking at her spindly arms and legs, white as carp, floating under the surface.

    Fiction book (1996)
  • Dark, cramped, and scummy.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Too late, I watched the girl vanish beneath the frothy, scummy surface.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • It was filled with scummy, filthy, stinky water.

    Blog text (4)
  • They get a boat, all of 'em hang their arm in that boat, ease along through that old scummy water-- damn snakes, turtles everywhere.

  • They all sort of faded in and out, one after the other: a guy lying in a ditch, scummy water dripping all over the place.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The floors there were tacky with a scummy, soda-and-popcorn glaze, and when you walked to your seat, your sneakers would make gross little squish-squeak sounds.

    Blog text (7)
  • The birdbath, filled with scummy water, attracted flies and looked uninviting.

  • He decided to clean the scummy dishes before starting the meal preparation.

  • After the storm, the fountain was covered with scummy algae and needed a thorough cleaning.

Synonyms

nasty
vsscummy
282 1.0

Very dirty and covered with things that smell bad

is more about a light surface film than strong disgust
filthy
vsscummy
183 1.5

Very dirty and covered with mud or dirt

is milder, a thin dirty film rather than heavy offensive dirt
crummy
vsscummy
  • Informal
56 6.7

Low quality and unpleasant

means a thin dirty film rather than merely low quality
seedy
vsscummy
  • Informal
26 6.1

Looking dirty and run down and often linked to crime

refers to a thin dirty film, not a shady or immoral tone
dingy
vsscummy
23 4.6

Dark and dirty so it does not look bright

is a light dirty film rather than an overall faded look
scruffy
vsscummy
23 3.8

Messy and untidy in clothes or appearance

focuses on a filmy surface layer rather than untidy dress
grimy
vsscummy
22 3.7

Covered in thick dirt that makes something look and feel dirty

is a light film on the surface rather than embedded grime
squalid
vsscummy
9 7.1

Very dirty and unpleasant because of poverty or neglect

applies to a thin surface film rather than broad severe neglect
slovenly
vsscummy
5 6.9

Being messy and dirty in the way a person looks or acts

describes a surface film rather than habitual untidiness
cruddy
vsscummy
  • Informal
4 6.0

Dirty and not good quality

focuses on a slimy surface layer rather than general low quality
dumpy
vsscummy
  • Informal
4 5.8

An ugly, dirty place that looks like a garbage dump

is about a thin surface coating rather than pilelike ugliness
scuzzy
vsscummy
  • Offensive
4 8.6

Dirty and unpleasant, like a place with sticky floors

focuses on a surface film rather than moral badness
smudgy
vsscummy
2 4.1

Having soft dirty marks that make a surface look blurred

is a thin surface film rather than distinct smeared patches
grotty
vsscummy
  • UK
2 8.4

Looks dirty and unpleasant, often like a shabby room or shop

suggests a thin surface film rather than general shabby dirtiness
skeezy
vsscummy
  • Offensive
2 9.9

Looks dishonest, dirty, or unsafe to be around

describes physical filmy dirt rather than moral unpleasantness
slutty
vsscummy
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A room or place that is very messy and dirty

is about a surface film rather than general messy personal habits
smutty
vsscummy
1 5.6

Covered in black soot or dirt

has a thin surface residue instead of heavy soot marks
scroungy
vsscummy
  • UK
1 7.7

Dirty and untidy in appearance

is about a slimy surface coating rather than mere untidiness
dungy
vsscummy
  • Archaic
8.3

Covered with animal poop and smelling bad

refers to a general thin dirty film rather than animal waste
sewery
vsscummy
9.6

Smelling very bad and looking dirty

describes mild filmy dirt rather than blocked drain stench or mess
slobby
vsscummy
  • Informal
7.7

Careless and messy in a way that looks low quality

refers to physical surface dirt rather than careless poor effort
slutchy
vsscummy
  • Archaic
9.9

A place or surface that is wet, muddy and looks dirty and messy

means a thin filmy residue rather than heavy wet mud
slummy
vsscummy
7.4

An area with poor, dirty housing that people do not take care of

is a surface film description, not an areawide poverty condition

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

Free from dirt or harmful things

866 1.0

Free from things that block sight or movement

How Dirty

dirty
525 1.0
scummy
2 5.6
soiled
1 2.5
clean
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

scummy positive

Morphology

scummy = scum (transparent) = scum + y

Direct adjectival formation from 'scum' meaning 'covered with scum' or resembling scum; meaning follows the literal combination.

Etymology

Scummy comes from scum + -y, where scum means the dirty 'foam' or 'film' that forms on liquids, so scummy describes something that is literally covered in that 'film' and looks dirty.