smarmy
insincere
TRANSLATION
smarmy = kriecherisch
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Tony Blair could lose out on the chance for change because he lacks confidence and cannot stand not being liked, according to Paddy Ashdown.
In an interview with the newspaper, Mr Ashdown says he had told the Labour leader most people in Britain thought he was SMARMY.
(BBC NEWS- Monday, 10 September, 2001)
In an interview with the newspaper, Mr Ashdown says he had told the Labour leader most people in Britain thought he was SMARMY.
(BBC NEWS- Monday, 10 September, 2001)
Did you
know?
smarmy (UK)
Etymology: The Old English word smeoru "grease, oil" also gave us the word smear. It is thought that smarmy is related to that Old English word. The idea behind smarmy is "one who smoothes [something] down using an oily or greasy substance", like hair oil.
That became a metaphor for someone who "smoothes by behaving in a flattering manner".
We first find smarm in 1902 with the "flattering" meaning. It is thought to also be related to a Dorset (England) word smawm "to smear" which is found in the written record as early as 1847. The adjective smarmy first turns up in 1924.
According to Merriam-Webster:
1 : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness
2 : of low sleazy taste or quality
- smarm·i·ly adverb
- smarm·i·ness noun
Synonyms
apple-polishing, bootlicking, brown-nosing, compliant, cringing, crawling, deferential, fawning, flattering, groveling, ingratiating, kowtowing, humble, obsequious, obeisant, oily, servile, slavish, silky, smarmy, spineless, submissive, subservient, sycophantic, toadying, unctuous
Etymology: The Old English word smeoru "grease, oil" also gave us the word smear. It is thought that smarmy is related to that Old English word. The idea behind smarmy is "one who smoothes [something] down using an oily or greasy substance", like hair oil.
That became a metaphor for someone who "smoothes by behaving in a flattering manner".
We first find smarm in 1902 with the "flattering" meaning. It is thought to also be related to a Dorset (England) word smawm "to smear" which is found in the written record as early as 1847. The adjective smarmy first turns up in 1924.
According to Merriam-Webster:
1 : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness
2 : of low sleazy taste or quality
- smarm·i·ly adverb
- smarm·i·ness noun
Synonyms
apple-polishing, bootlicking, brown-nosing, compliant, cringing, crawling, deferential, fawning, flattering, groveling, ingratiating, kowtowing, humble, obsequious, obeisant, oily, servile, slavish, silky, smarmy, spineless, submissive, subservient, sycophantic, toadying, unctuous
