adj.
Pronunciation: ' smär-m ē
Function: adjective
Inflected Form: smarm · i · er ; -est
Etymology: smarm to gush, slobber
Date: 1924
1 : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness <a tone of smarmy self-satisfaction ― New Yorker >
2 : of low sleazy taste or quality < smarmy eroticism>
– smarm · i · ly \ -m ə -l ē \ adverb
– smarm · i · ness \ -m ē -n ə s \ noun