shabby

adjective

shab·​by ˈsha-bē How to pronounce shabby (audio)
shabbier; shabbiest
1
: clothed with worn or seedy garments
a shabby hobo
2
a
: threadbare and faded from wear
a shabby sofa
b
: ill-kept : dilapidated
a shabby neighborhood
3
a
: mean, despicable, contemptible
must feel shabby … because of his compromisesNat Hentoff
b
: ungenerous, unfair
laments the shabby way in which this country often treated a poetPaul Engle
c
: inferior in quality
shabby reasoning
shabbily adverb
shabbiness noun

Examples of shabby in a Sentence

The furniture was old and shabby. He wore a shabby coat. Her first apartment was pretty shabby. They complained about the shabby treatment they received at the hotel. Backing out of the deal was a shabby thing to do.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
His big number is a poignant song taken directly from the Eliot poem about that time in a cat’s life when paws begin to shake, the coat turns shabby and mice and rats no longer cower in fear. Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025 Driving a suburban family people mover, Luis obediently joins the shabby convoy of converted trucks heading away from the rave scene. Damon Wise, Deadline, 15 May 2025 But the issue of homelessness has also become a political liability for Democrats in California and elsewhere, with their Republican opponents drawing attention to striking images of the shabby encampments that sprang up under the party's governance. Shane Croucher, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 May 2025 As of 2025, Logan Paul’s net worth is estimated to be $150 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth—not too shabby for someone who started out by making videos on the internet. Jenzia Burgos, StyleCaster, 27 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for shabby

Word History

Etymology

obsolete English shab a low fellow

First Known Use

1669, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shabby was in 1669

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Cite this Entry

“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shabby. Accessed 24 May. 2025.

Kids Definition

shabby

adjective
shab·​by ˈshab-ē How to pronounce shabby (audio)
shabbier; shabbiest
1
: dressed in worn clothes
2
a
: worn and faded from wear
a shabby sofa
b
: ill kept : dilapidated
shabby houses
3
: not fair or generous
shabby treatment
shabbily adverb
shabbiness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on shabby

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