shabby

adjective

shab·by | \ ˈsha-bē

shabbier; shabbiest

Definition of shabby

1 : clothed with worn or seedy garments a shabby hobo

2a : threadbare and faded from wear a shabby sofa

b : ill-kept : dilapidated a shabby neighborhood

3a : 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

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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

While the shabby chic look was more feminine than modern farmhouse, the two share several traits, including distressed woods, a whitewashed palette, and vintage everything. — Laura Fenton, Curbed, "How the ‘modern farmhouse’ look took over," 21 Nov. 2018 Their husbands aren’t too shabby in this category, either; Prince Harry ups a product’s desirability by 31.9 percent and Prince William does the same by 27 percent. — Megan Friedman, Harper's BAZAAR, "Kate Middleton Is Even More Influential Than Meghan Markle in the U.S.," 1 Nov. 2018 Habitas Tulum, beTulum, Sanara and others, with ultra chic DJs and a relaxed vibe, are still setting the bar for barefoot luxury, shabby chic, and rustic luxe. — Alex Postman, Condé Nast Traveler, "28 Places Our Travel Specialists Say You Should Go in 2019," 17 Dec. 2018 The girls also provide a handy window to the world the series is set in, and director Saverio Costanzo (who helms all eight episodes) turns the little plaza the girls’ shabby apartment buildings surround into a microcosm of the world at large. — Todd Vanderwerff, Vox, "HBO’s My Brilliant Friend adaptation is a knockout," 18 Nov. 2018 Samed recounted over tea in a shabby hotel with Sobhani and two other returnees, all of whom met and became friends after being sent back. — Pamela Constable, Washington Post, "Europe is rejecting thousands of Afghan asylum seekers a year. But what awaits them back home?," 28 May 2018 Not too shabby when the squad’s playoff chances seemed all-but-lost after a stunning home defeat against Portland on June 30. — Geoff Baker, The Seattle Times, "Analysis: Breaking down Sounders’ chances for crucial MLS playoff bye," 22 Oct. 2018 Not too shabby, considering the $400 asking price starting next spring. — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, "Hands-on: Oculus Quest is an intriguing new middle ground for VR," 27 Sep. 2018 Still—not too shabby for an affordable product, right? — Chloe Metzger, Marie Claire, "Kylie Jenner Dyed Her Hair Pink with This $16 Tint," 21 Sep. 2018

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.