# smarmy

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈsmɑː.mi/ · frequency rank #71,928

## Definitions
1. Falsely earnest, smug, ingratiating, or pious.
2. Unctuous, greasy, as hair from pomade.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/smarmy