sleaze

 
Pronunciation: /sliːz/

noun

[mass noun] British
  • immoral, sordid, and corrupt behaviour or activities: political campaigns that are long on sleaze and short on substance
  • [count noun] informal, chiefly North American a sordid, corrupt, or immoral person: having failed as a leading man, he triumphs as a sleaze

verb

[no object, with adverbial] informal
  • behave in an immoral, corrupt, or sordid way: you’re the last person who has to sleaze around bars

Origin:

1960s: back-formation from sleazy