From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishseamyseam‧y /ˈsiːmi/ adjective UNPLEASANTinvolving unpleasant things such as crime, violence, or immorality the seamy side of the Internet
Examples from the Corpus
seamy• She would go into seamy dives, sitting there, listening, consoling.• Some of them are pretty seamy places.• Then and later, Alvin was interested in putting the seamier side of life onstage.• She was a tough girl with an abrasive manner, and seemed very knowledgeable about the seamy side of life.the seamy side of• the seamy side of Hollywood• Then and later, Alvin was interested in putting the seamier side of life onstage.• She was a tough girl with an abrasive manner, and seemed very knowledgeable about the seamy side of life.• Buckmaster's habit of distancing himself from the seamier side of the company worried him.Origin seamy (1800-1900) seamy “having the rough side of the seam showing” ((17-19 centuries)), from seam 