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

Adjective

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

Examples of shoddy in a Sentence

Adjective

They gave a shoddy performance.

shoddy merchandise that soon fell to pieces

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Recycled pop bottles are made into carpets and seat linings, and cotton shoddy—used to make blue jeans—is recycled and turned into sound insulation. —Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 July 2018

Only traditional organic feeds such as the shoddy are allowed —Craig Ballinger, Slate Magazine, 20 Mar. 2017

Adjective

The largest cut would be $2.5 billion to development assistance, which has a shoddy track record of fostering economic growth in poorer countries. —The Editors, National Review, 14 July 2025

Or will my agent judge me for referring a shoddy query/ manuscript? —Kristen Arnett june 26, Literary Hub, 26 June 2025

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