sleaze

What it means

1. uncountableLow moral standards.

   The level of sleaze in this city seems to have been rising rapidly in recent years.

   1988 January 11, The New Yorker

2. IrelandUKuncountablePolitical corruption.

   ministerial sleaze and mendacity

   2004 August 19, London Review of Books

   2 more examples

   While no-one accused Major of corruption, it rebounded to his disadvantage because he was unable to stamp it out, and contradictory reports appeared in the Press as to whether senior Conservatives really supported those accused of sleaze, or whether they were furious and wanted them to stand down immediately.

   2012, Helen Jones, Susanne MacGregor, Social Issues and Party Politics, page 3

   Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is facing an investigation by the Commons sleaze watchdog over a £5m (€5.7m) gift from a party donor.

   2026 May 13, David Hughes, “Nigel Farage faces probe by sleaze watchdog over £5m gift”, in Irish Examiner

3. countableinformalA person of low moral standards.

   She knew that sleaze Hakido would do something to stick the knife in and twist it to the hilt.

   1999, E. Brewer, Picking Up the Marbles, AuthorHouse, →ISBN, page 162

In a sentence

The level of sleaze in this city seems to have been rising rapidly in recent years.

1988 January 11, The New Yorker

Where it comes from

1. Ancient GreekΣιλίγγαι (Silíngai)
2. LatinSilingaeder.?
3. Old PolishŚlęża
4. Old PolishŚlęzader.?
5. Old Polishśląg /ślęgder.?
6. Late LatinSilesia
7. EnglishSilesia
8. Englishsilesia?
9. Englishsleazybf.
10. Englishsleaze

Back-formation from sleazy, originally used to describe the thinness and low quality of cloth.