scruffy

adjective

ˈskrə-fē 

scruffier; scruffiest

: unkempt, slovenly, shaggy

a scruffy neighborhood

a scruffy beard

scruffily

ˈskrə-fə-lē 

adverb

scruffiness

ˈskrə-fē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• beat-up
• bombed-out
• dilapidated
• dog-eared
• down-at-the-heels
• down-at-heel
• down-at-the-heel
• down-at-heels
• dumpy
• grungy
• mangy
• mean
• miserable
• moth-eaten
• neglected
• ratty
• run-down
• scrubby
• seedy
• shabby
• sleazy
• tacky
• tatterdemalion
• tatty
• threadbare
• timeworn
• tumbledown

Examples of scruffy in a Sentence

The neighborhood is full of dilapidated houses with scruffy backyards.

dressed in scruffy old clothes to clean out the garage

Recent Examples on the Web

In a thoroughly awful game, Spurs played poorly but managed to just about sneak past Manchester United with an incredibly scruffy goal. —Zak Garner-Purkis, Forbes.com, 30 May 2025

Johnson’s goal for Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester United in Wednesday’s Europa League final was in the 42nd minute, scruffy, opportunistic, but effective. —Carl Anka, New York Times, 22 May 2025

Lately, however, the scruffy poet laureate of middle-aged melancholy has never been happier or more prolific, coming off a post-pandemic hot streak that saw the release of multiple National albums and now, his second release under his own name following 2020’s Serpentine Prison. —Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 5 June 2025

And Just Like That… season 3 premiere in New York City on Wednesday, May 21 But the actor appeared in an unrecognizable look — a gray scruffy beard! —Charna Flam, People.com, 22 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

scruff, metathetic variant of scurf (also with senses "something worthless or contemptible, contemptible person") + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for scruffy

• buffy
• fluffy
• puffy
• stuffy

Kids Definition

scruffy

adjective

ˈskrəf-ē 

scruffier; scruffiest

: dirty or shabby in appearance

a scruffy beard