shoddy

1 of 2

noun

shod·​dy ˈshä-dē 

1

a

: a reclaimed wool from materials that are not felted that is of better quality and longer staple than mungo

b

: a fabric often of inferior quality manufactured wholly or partly from reclaimed wool

2

a

: inferior, imitative, or pretentious articles or matter

b

: pretentious vulgarity

shoddy

2 of 2

adjective

shoddier; shoddiest

1

: made wholly or partly of shoddy

2

a

: cheaply imitative : vulgarly pretentious

shoddy merchandise

b

: hastily or poorly done : inferior

shoddy workmanship

c

: shabby, disreputable

shoddy business deals

shoddily

ˈshä-də-lē 

adverb

shoddiness

ˈshä-dē-nəs 

noun

Synonyms of shoddy

Adjective

• poor
• terrible
• cheap
• inferior
• bad
• rotten

Examples of shoddy in a Sentence

Adjective

They gave a shoddy performance.

shoddy merchandise that soon fell to pieces

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Diggle’s singular guitar style, a minimalist technique which often consists of just two or three notes played incessantly, derived from both a punk need to get back to rock basics and the limitations of shoddy equipment. — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 23 Sep. 2026

Nearly six decades of wear-and-tear left the fragile prop in pretty shoddy condition, so Roddenberry’s team enlisted the help of contemporary Hollywood model designer Lou Zutavern. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 Sep. 2026

April’s propensity for nicking small items that don’t belong to her is mentioned only once, transparently used to drive a plotline that’s already shoddy. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 14 Sep. 2026

Porky Pig and Daffy Duck aren’t celebrities but second-class citizens forced to order their shoddy goods from Acme, a monopoly that ships everything in oddly familiar blue and brown boxes. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for shoddy

• bawdy
• body
• gaudy
• khadi
• mahdi
• noddy
• oddi
• toddy
• waddy
• afterbody
• antibody
• busybody

Kids Definition

shoddy

adjective

shod·​dy

ˈshäd-ē

shoddier; shoddiest

: poorly done or made

shoddy construction

shoddy furniture

shoddily

ˈshäd-ᵊl-ē

adverb

shoddiness

ˈshäd-ē-nəs

noun