seedy

adj

Etymology: From Middle English sedy, equivalent to seed + -y. The senses with negative connotation, first attested by 1725 in slang, originally especially “poor, out of money”, probably arose from the metaphor of a flower that has gone to seed, and is no longer considered beautiful. From there the word came to be used to describe unwell or past-their-prime people, and parallelly run-down places and by extension low-income or crime-affected urban areas. Compare the figurative expressions go to seed (by 1817), etc., originally in reference to plants, “cease flowering as seeds develop”.

1. Literal senses:

   “Pomegranates are as seedy as any fruit you are likely to see.”

2. Literal senses:
3. Literal senses:
4. Inferior in condition or quality.

   “Sleazy city / Seedy films / Breathing so heavy / Next to my neighbour / Let’s get acquainted”

   “The healing power of alcohol / Only works on scrapes and nicks / And not on girls in seedy bars / Who drown themselves in it”

5. Inferior in condition or quality.

   “His seedy, dirt-smudged visage caused her to look at him askance.”

   “Besides the broad-brimmed hat, he was distinguished by a spotted tie, a pair of seedy check trousers rather baggy in the seat, and a cut-away coat, much too tight for him.”

6. Inferior in condition or quality.

   “With her aching back and pronounced limp, she was feeling particularly seedy today.”

7. Inferior in condition or quality.

   “After last night’s party we were all feeling pretty seedy.”