frowsy

adjective

frow·​sy ˈfrau̇-zē 

variants or frowzy

frowsier or frowzier; frowziest

1

: musty, stale

… a frowsy smell of stale beer and stale smoke.

—W. Somerset Maugham

2

: having a slovenly or uncared-for appearance

… a couple of frowsy stuffed chairs …

—R. M. Williams

Did you know?

Despite its meanings suggesting neglect and inattention, frowsy has been kept in steady rotation by English users since the late 1600s. The word (which is also spelled frowzy and has enjoyed other variants over the centuries) first wafted into the language in an olfactory sense describing that which smells fusty and musty—an old factory, perhaps, or “corrupt air from animal substance,” which Benjamin Franklin described as “frouzy” in a 1773 letter. Frowsy later gained an additional sense describing the appearance of something (or someone) disheveled or unkempt. Charles Dickens was a big fan of this usage, writing of “frowzy fields, and cowhouses” in Dombey and Son and “a frowzy fringe” of hair hanging about someone’s ears in The Old Curiosity Shop. Both senses are still in use today.

Synonyms of frowsy

• sloppy
• wrinkled
• shaggy
• slovenly
• unkempt
• untidy
• dowdy
• blowsy
• messy
• sloven

Examples of frowsy in a Sentence

sported a threadbare wardrobe and frowsy hair

the abandoned house was dank and frowsy

Recent Examples on the Web

Before the current renovation of the franchised hotels, the rooms looked as if they were stuck in a fussy, frowsy 1980s floral rut. —BostonGlobe.com, 3 Oct. 2019

Word History

Etymology

origin unknown

First Known Use

1681, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for frowsy

• drowsy
• lousy

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Kids Definition

frowsy

adjective

frow·​sy

variants or frowzy

ˈfrau̇-zē 

frowsier or frowzier; frowsiest

: having an untidy appearance