seamy
Like rough neighborhoods
Seamy describes the sordid, disreputable, or morally degraded aspects of something: the seamy side of politics, the seamy underworld of organized crime.
The word comes from the seam side of a garment—the rough, unfinished interior hidden from view.
What's seamy is what lies beneath a respectable surface.
Disreputable or sun-blocked
- sleazyDisreputably low-quality
- unsavoryMorally or socially objectionable
- dodgyQuestionable in character
- sketchyIncomplete or suspicious
questionable · dubious · nefarious · underhand · shifty · unscrupulous · notorious · infamous
Extremely dirty and neglected
- depravedMorally corrupt, perverse
- seedyRundown and disreputable
- tawdryCheaply ornate and vulgar
- degradedReduced in rank or quality
shameful · degenerate · vile · squalor · vice · smut · filthy · indecent
Vulnerable lower surface
- crimePunishable illegal act
- viceBad habit or deputy
- racketUproar, scam, or paddle
- syndicateCombined group pursuing shared interest
black-market · gang · mob · smuggling · trafficking · prostitution · fencing · street-crime
Corrupt payment for influence
- graftIllicit political gain
- kickbackIllegal payment for services
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
- racketeeringConducting illegal business schemes
extortion · malfeasance · collusion · cronyism · nepotism · fraud · payoff · profiteering
shady
Disreputable or sun-blocked
- sleazyDisreputably low-quality
- unsavoryMorally or socially objectionable
- dodgyQuestionable in character
sketchy · questionable · dubious · nefarious · underhand · shifty · unscrupulous · notorious · infamous · crooked
squalid
Extremely dirty and neglected
degraded · shameful · degenerate · vile · squalor · vice · smut · filthy · indecent · lewd
underbelly
Vulnerable lower surface
syndicate · black-market · gang · mob · smuggling · trafficking · prostitution · fencing · street-crime · underground
bribery
Corrupt payment for influence
- graftIllicit political gain
- kickbackIllegal payment for services
- embezzlementFraudulent taking of entrusted assets
racketeering · extortion · malfeasance · collusion · cronyism · nepotism · fraud · payoff · profiteering · coercion
stitching
Joining with needle, thread
join · selvage · facing · lining · inside-out
seamyrespectable
Worthy of regard
reputable · upright · honorable · upstanding · virtuous
- seam ripperThread-cutting sewing tool
- coal seamUnderground fuel deposit layer
- torn seamOpened clothing joint
- ripped seamTorn clothing joint
- split seamOpening in sewn fabric
- French seamFabric join hiding rawness