Smarmy

//ˈsmɑː.mi// adj

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Falsely earnest, smug, ingratiating, or pious.

    "a smarmy salesman with a big smile"

  2. 2
    Unctuous, greasy, as hair from pomade. dated, rare

    "He looked faintly loutish, with smarmy hair and a hint of a moustache."

Adjective
  1. 1
    unpleasantly and excessively suave or ingratiating in manner or speech wordnet

Etymology

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.

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