scumminess

8.6

A state of being dirty or bad in a moral way, for example a filthy place

noun
/ˈskʌmɪnəs/

Offensive

: suciedad (física)

The scumminess of the lake discouraged people from swimming there.

Examples

I do not see anyone rushing in to make these proclamations to wait until the facts are in when it comes to any other type of case, even in cases of murder, drug trafficking, or extortion when the general public's collective tongue is wagging about the scumminess or guilt of the accused.

Blog text (20)
The scumminess of the abandoned house made it uninhabitable.
She was appalled by the scumminess of the politics in her town.

Synonyms

filth

vsscumminess

46 2.0

Dirt and disgusting things that make a place very dirty

broads that idea to include moral unpleasantness as well

vileness

vsscumminess

2 8.0

Very bad and morally wrong behavior

adds a physical dirty sense as well as moral unpleasantness

nastiness

vsscumminess

2 4.9

A very dirty state that smells bad and disgusts people

extends that disgust to include low moral behaviour too

uncleanness

vsscumminess

1 6.0

A state of being dirty and likely to spread disease

also implies moral unpleasantness or a dirty layer on surfaces

foulness

vsscumminess

1 7.9

Very bad and immoral behavior that harms other people

includes moral badness but also physical unclean or unpleasant aspects

sordidness

vsscumminess

1 8.8

A state of being dirty and morally bad

is a general term for being physically dirty or morally low

sleaziness

vsscumminess

Literature

1 8.1

Being dishonest and unfair in a way that harms others

also covers physical dirt as well as low moral quality

dirtiness

vsscumminess

1 1.0

Not being clean because it has mud, dust or stains

adds moral lowness or an unpleasant character beyond mere uncleanliness

slovenliness

vsscumminess

1 8.3

Being untidy, dirty, and careless about clothes or work

is stronger, implying active unpleasantness or moral low quality too

uncleanliness

vsscumminess

1 5.5

A state when a place or person is dirty and not cared for

includes that habitual unclean state plus moral unpleasantness

scruffiness

vsscumminess

1 4.5

A messy, untidy look or way of dressing that seems careless

is a harsher idea that includes unpleasantness or moral baseness

squalidness

vsscumminess

8.2

Very dirty and unpleasant places caused by poverty or lack of care

also covers moral baseness, not only neglect or poverty related dirt

soilage

vsscumminess

Archaic

9.1

Dirt or mess that makes something dirty

adds an unpleasant or morally low sense beyond mere contamination

Antonyms

purity

Formal

34 3.9

The state of being without moral wrong or corruption

cleanliness

26 1.0

Being free from dirt and keeping things tidy

How Dirty

filth

46 2.0

sordidness

1 8.8

scumminess

Offensive

8.6

dirtiness

1 1.0

grubbiness

4.6

Surface Forms

scumminess singular

scumminesses plural

Morphology

scumminess = scummy (transparent) = scum + y + ness

The word is straightforwardly built from the adjective 'scummy' plus the noun-forming suffix '-ness'.

Etymology

Scumminess comes from scum, a word for the 'dirty layer' that forms on water or other surfaces, plus the ending -ness, which makes a word mean the 'state' or 'quality' of something. So scumminess is the 'state' of being like scum — either physically covered in dirt or morally low and unpleasant.