schmierig

German

Etymology

From Middle High German smerwic, smerewic, from Old High German *smerwīg, *smerewīg, from Proto-West Germanic *smerwig, equivalent to Schmiere + -ig. Perhaps also influenced by earlier Middle Low German smērich, which is directly from smēr, cognate of German Schmer.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈʃmiːʁɪç/ (standard)
  • (file)
  • IPA(key): /ˈʃmiːʁɪk/ (common form in southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland)
  • (file)
  • Hyphenation: schmie‧rig

Adjective

schmierig (strong nominative masculine singular schmieriger, comparative schmieriger, superlative am schmierigsten)

  1. smudgy, mucky (covered with sticky dirt or fat residue)
  2. (chiefly colloquial, usually of men) overtly polite, but with an underlying arrogance and possessiveness; oleaginous; unctuous; smarmy
    Ihr Verlobter ist der typische schmierige Bankberater.
    Her fiancé is a typical oleaginous bank officer.

Declension

Synonyms

Further reading

  • schmierig” in Digitales Wörterbuch der deutschen Sprache
  • schmierig” in Uni Leipzig: Wortschatz-Lexikon
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