Definition of shabby
shabbier
;shabbiest
1 : clothed with worn or seedy garments a shabby hobo
2a : threadbare and faded from wear a shabby sofab : ill-kept : dilapidated a shabby neighborhood
3a : mean, despicable, contemptible must feel shabby … because of his compromises — Nat Hentoffb : ungenerous, unfair laments the shabby way in which this country often treated a poet — Paul Englec : inferior in quality shabby reasoning
From the M-W Editors
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 of shabby from the Web
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The opening acts (Heshima Moja, Kris Allen, Matt and Atla DeChamplain and others) aren't shabby either.
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By mid-month, the planet is slightly less luminous at -4.3 magnitude — which ain’t too shabby.
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The balmy weather and brilliant coastal beaches added their own charms, and the shabby baubles and ticky-tacky architecture of modern industrial tourism were born.
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In the shabby hotel room, an itinerant preacher has come to the end of the road.
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The specs aren’t too shabby either, although everything is based on last year’s standards.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shabby'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of shabby
obsolete English shab a low fellow
First Known Use: 1669
SHABBY Defined for English Language Learners
shabby
playDefinition of shabby for English Language Learners
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: in poor condition especially because of age or use
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: dressed in clothes that are old and worn
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: not fair, generous, or reasonable
SHABBY Defined for Kids
shabby
playDefinition of shabby for Students
shabbier
;shabbiest
1 : faded and worn from use or wear shabby clothes
2 : in poor condition : dilapidated a shabby house
3 : dressed in worn clothes
4 : not fair or generous We received shabby treatment.
shabbily
\ˈsha-bə-lē\ adverb shabbily dressedshabbiness
\ˈsha-bē-nəs\ nounLearn More about shabby
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See words that rhyme with shabby Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for shabby Spanish Central: Translation of shabby Nglish: Translation of shabby for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of shabby for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
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