1
as in messy
lacking neatness in dress or person
a sloppy child who always seems to have spilled something on his clothes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
dumped the papers in a sloppy pile on the desk
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
a cinematic romance with a sloppy musical score that will have audiences reaching for their handkerchiefs
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sloppy
Red Sox starter Brayan Bello was later victimized by some sloppy defense in the fifth.
—
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 June 2025
Look for signs of DIY work — sloppy paint jobs, misaligned tiles, uneven cabinet installation, missing GFCI outlets, or my pet peeve: poorly done caulking.
—Dana Bull, CNBC, 9 June 2025
There were loud boos at half-time, a smattering in the closing minutes and a few more at the final whistle as England played without any real intensity, were sloppy in possession and struggled to break down a team more than happy to sit everyone behind the ball.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 8 June 2025
Both players were sloppy in the first set, conceding 21 break-point chances and making 48 unforced errors between them, with Sabalenka making 32 yet still winning the set.
—Jerome Pugmire, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloppy
Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 10 June 2025
Look for signs of DIY work — sloppy paint jobs, misaligned tiles, uneven cabinet installation, missing GFCI outlets, or my pet peeve: poorly done caulking.
—Dana Bull, CNBC, 9 June 2025
There were loud boos at half-time, a smattering in the closing minutes and a few more at the final whistle as England played without any real intensity, were sloppy in possession and struggled to break down a team more than happy to sit everyone behind the ball.
—Dan Sheldon, New York Times, 8 June 2025
Both players were sloppy in the first set, conceding 21 break-point chances and making 48 unforced errors between them, with Sabalenka making 32 yet still winning the set.
—Jerome Pugmire, Chicago Tribune, 7 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloppy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sloppy
Adjective
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As for her glam, the jewelry designer tossed her hair back into a messy bun with strands of hair to frame her face.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
17 June 2025
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Lummis said the Banking Committee will attempt to avoid the same messy, public bartering as lawmakers turn their attention to the CLARITY Act, an even broader bill to set rules for digital assets.—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
17 June 2025
Adjective
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He was reinstated after a chaotic week that included a mass employee revolt and a brief stint at Microsoft.—
Beatrice Nolan,
Fortune,
20 June 2025
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More than a decade ago, a Reuters investigation concluded that Iran's ayatollah also controlled a massive financial empire built on property seizures in the chaotic years after the 1979 revolution, when many Iranians fled overseas.—
Kim Hjelmgaard,
USA Today,
19 June 2025
Adjective
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When the sun journeys through sentimental Cancer, there is a greater focus on home, family and emotional stability.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
21 June 2025
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Spielberg's vision is sentimental yet feels so satisfying.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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The other near certainty in Lead Actor should be Gary Oldman, who anchors Slow Horses with a slovenly charisma that is, against all odds, deeply watchable.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
24 May 2025
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Related Stories The movie O’Neil has put together out of this footage, which premiered last night at Cannes, is by any real-world standard a slovenly and undisciplined piece of work.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Adjective
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Despite decades of existence, Jack in the Box’s sales remain stagnant, its strategy appears confused, and investors are becoming increasingly uneasy.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
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Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, was left confused by the team’s strategy call — having gone long on the opening stint, but never seemed like a genuine threat to the leaders and lacking the outright pace of Lando Norris on the same strategy.—
Luke Smith,
New York Times,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Our formulas are oxybenzone-free, water- and sweat-resistant, and designed lightweight unlike typical sport sunscreens that leave you feeling sticky or break down in the heat of competition.—
Dave Knox,
Forbes.com,
27 June 2025
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Season 3, relentless in its examination of the sticky contours of Carm’s trauma, offered fewer bursts of that kind of respite.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
26 June 2025
Adjective
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What To Know Between 12 and 24 inches of heavy wet snow are forecast to fall on the East Glacier Park region above 6,000 feet, and up to 6 inches below that altitude.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
20 June 2025
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Paradise Rot is perhaps less of a wet, watery exploration than the others in this list, and more the study of the porousness of two bodies cohabitating, and the blurring of these bodily lines between each other and their more-than-human cohabitants.—
Siouxzi Connor
June 20,
Literary Hub,
20 June 2025
Adjective
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Head out onto the water to sail around the archipelago, keeping your eyes peeled for breaching minke whales and bearded seals, as well as shaggy muskoxen—one of the few megafauna to survive the Ice Age—and Arctic wolves patrolling the shoreline.—
Chloe Berge,
Outside Online,
17 June 2025
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For the occasion, Taylor-Johnson kept his curls shaggy.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
16 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sloppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sloppy. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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