slapdash

adjective

slap·​dash ˈslap-ˌdash 

-ˈdash

: haphazard, slipshod

Did you know?

An early recorded use of slapdash comes from 17th-century British poet and dramatist John Dryden, who used it as an adverb in his play The Kind Keeper. "Down I put the notes slap-dash," he wrote. The Oxford English Dictionary defines this sense, in part, as "with, or as with, a slap and a dash," perhaps suggesting the notion of an action (such as painting) performed with quick, imprecise movements. The adjective slapdash is familiar today describing something done in a hasty, careless, or haphazard manner.

Synonyms of slapdash

• random
• scattered
• arbitrary
• haphazard
• erratic

Examples of slapdash in a Sentence

the police department's investigation of the charges against the mayor was slapdash and not very thorough

Recent Examples on the Web

Occasionally amusing but more slapdash than inventive, gamely performed but irredeemably sour, Stuart Fails to Save the Universe is a skippable addition to Chuck Lorre’s ever-expanding solar system of Big Bang Theory spinoffs. — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 22 July 2026

But while these challenges may be genuine, the slapdash execution of tariffs have only hindered American businesses. — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 22 July 2026

The slapdash defending did, however, raise the debate over whether such matches should really ‘count’, in a statistical sense. — Sergio Gonzalez, New York Times, 19 July 2026

Mixing mulches can give your yard a slapdash appearance, but there are a few easy ways to overcome this problem. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 4 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1792, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for slapdash

• backlash
• chumash
• eyelash
• moustache
• mustache
• noncash
• potash
• rehash
• whiplash
• ash
• bash
• brash

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Kids Definition

slapdash

adjective

slap·​dash ˈslap-ˌdash 

-ˈdash

: haphazard, slipshod