Smarmy Meaning in English

word

US

ˈsmɑɹmi

SMAR-mee

UK

smˈɑːmi

SMAH-mee

التعريف

Behaving in an overly flattering, insincere, and often annoying way to gain favor or approval.

الاستخدام والفروق الدقيقة

Always informal and negative. Used for someone whose compliments or friendliness seem fake and are meant to manipulate. Often follows 'a smarmy smile', 'a smarmy salesman'. Not for genuine kindness—implies the speaker finds the behavior irritating or slippery.

• Spanish: lambiscón - adulador (de manera falsa)
• Portuguese (BR): bajulador (de modo falso) - puxa-saco (informal)
• Portuguese (PT): lisonjeiro (de modo falso) - bajulador (informal)
• Chinese (Simplified): 虚情假意的 - 拍马屁的
• Chinese (Traditional): 虛情假意的 - 拍馬屁的
• Hindi: चापलूस (नकली)
• Arabic: متزلف (بطريقة مبالغ فيها) - متملق
• Bengali: মোসলেমে (চাটুকার) - কপট - তোষামোদপূর্ণ
• Russian: подлизывшийся - льстивый - угодливый
• Japanese: へつらう - お世辞たらしい - いやらしい
• Vietnamese: nịnh nọt - giả tạo - xu nịnh
• Korean: 알랑거리는 - 아첨하는 - 가식적인
• Turkish: yağcı - yapmacık - aşırı pohpohlayan
• Urdu: مکارانہ چاپلوس - خوشامدانہ
• Indonesian: menjilat - bermuka dua - berpura-pura ramah

جمل نموذجية

The smarmy waiter kept complimenting us to get a bigger tip.

basic

Everyone found his smarmy attitude irritating.

basic

He gave a smarmy smile when he apologized.

basic

I can't stand that smarmy guy from marketing—he's so fake.

natural

She tried to win the boss over with her smarmy compliments, but it didn't work.

natural

That politician's smarmy promises fooled nobody.

natural