shabby

play

adjective shab·by \ ˈsha-bē \

Definition of shabby

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 compromises
—Nat Hentoff

b :ungenerous, unfair

laments the shabby way in which this country often treated a poet
—Paul Engle

c :inferior in quality

shabby reasoning

—

shabbily

play \ˈsha-bə-lē\ adverb

—

shabbiness

play \ˈsha-bē-nəs\ noun

See shabby defined for English-language learners

See shabby defined for kids

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

Uniqlo is home to plenty of cheap cashmere, but their summer offerings aren’t too shabby either.

— diana tsui, The Cut, "9 Comfy Skirts You Won’t Want to Rip Off at the End of a Work Day," 19 July 2017
But if shabby chic is your domestic bliss, $20 gets you in the door an hour early (9 a.m.) for first pick on Saturday and a return trip on Sunday.

— cynthia zanone, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Embrace the vintage lifestyle this weekend at Liberty Station," 13 July 2017
That's not too shabby for a music fest that draws around 60,000 to the three-day show at Waterfront Park.

— sheldon s. shafer, The Courier-Journal, "Forecastle Festival's impact on Louisville economy? It's a lot, and it's growing," 11 July 2017
Founded by Pascual's parents in 1982, the company is housed in a 5,500 square meter building at the end of a shabby road.

— rodrigo orihuela, Bloomberg.com, "Forget Cars, for One Spaniard the Autonomous Future Is Forklifts," 30 June 2017
Not too shabby for a ceremony already set in a total tropical paradise.

— emily kirkpatrick, PEOPLE.com, "Tommy Hilfiger's Daughter Ally Hilfiger Was the Ultimate Boho Bride at Her Wedding, Thanks to a Dress Designed by Her Dad," 27 June 2017
Another amazing evening is ahead, and tomorrow won’t be too shabby either.

— ian livingston, Washington Post, "PM Update: More near-perfect conditions through Wednesday," 27 June 2017
Not too shabby for a kid who had to sign a temporary contract with the Falmouth Commodores, one of 10 teams in the Cape.

— pat disabato, Daily Southtown, "Disabato: Marty Bechina hopes for long stay in Cape Cod League," 27 June 2017
That number is down to 250 in Tuanjie, a shabby village of 3,000 people that is surrounded by terraced corn fields and green mountains in southwestern China.

— michael holtz, The Christian Science Monitor, "Poverty-free China by 2020? Beijing says it's possible – but steepest climb ahead," 22 June 2017

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

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First Known Use: 1669

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shabby Synonyms

SHABBY Defined for English Language Learners

shabby

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adjective

Definition of shabby for English Language Learners

: in poor condition especially because of age or use
: dressed in clothes that are old and worn
: not fair, generous, or reasonable

SHABBY Defined for Kids

shabby

play

adjective shab·by \ ˈsha-bē \

Definition 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 dressed

—

shabbiness

\ˈsha-bē-nəs\ noun

Learn More about shabby

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

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Examples of shabby in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of shabby

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SHABBY Defined for English Language Learners

shabby

Definition of shabby for English Language Learners

SHABBY Defined for Kids

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shabbily

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