Added 10 October 2026
smarmy
/ˈsmɑː.mi/ adjective
Coined: a coined word Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about smarmy at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
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Unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech.
buttery praise
Origin
From smarm + -y. Apparently coined by "B.R.L., of Brighton" with sense "saying treacly things which do not sound genuine" in a competition for neologisms in The Academy (London) published on 14 January 1899.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)