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 of scruffy

• dilapidated
• neglected

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

For example, Jackson makes frequent runs behind opposite defences, but his first touch can be scruffy when the ball is played into his feet, rather than in his stride. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026

There’s also less of the eccentric charm that’s to be found in Wenders’ other docs, like the bits in Pina where the dancers cavort around in scruffy parts of Wuppertal where their home Dance Theater is based. — Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026

Before Jimmy Buffett became synonymous with Margaritaville, Parrot Heads and an entire lifestyle industry, there was a scruffier, stranger and considerably less predictable band finding its way through the bars and back roads of Key West, Fl. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 4 Sep. 2026

Almost half of traders, portfolio managers and strategists in a recent Bloomberg poll support wearing shorts to work, but men in Silicon Valley are turning away from the look of the scruffy tech genius in shorts and flip-flops. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 31 Aug. 2026

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