shoddy

1 of 2

noun

shod·dy ˈshä-dē

Synonyms of shoddy next

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

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

: inferior, imitative, or pretentious articles or matter

: pretentious vulgarity

shoddy

2 of 2

adjective

shoddier; shoddiest

: made wholly or partly of shoddy

: cheaply imitative : vulgarly pretentious

shoddy merchandise

: hastily or poorly done : inferior

shoddy workmanship

: shabby, disreputable

shoddy business deals

shoddily

ˈshä-də-lē

adverb

shoddiness

ˈshä-dē-nəs

noun

Example Sentences

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

This deliberately shoddy level of finish is one source of the tension in Reaves’ sculptures, most of which have a junkiness that’s hard to take. —

Lori Waxman, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2023 Bing’s demo frequently contained shoddy information: from inaccurate recommended product details, to omitting or misstating travel stop details, to even misrepresenting seemingly straightforward financial reports. —

Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 14 Feb. 2023 Tenants have complained about shoddy repairs after the city and county investigations, such as the landlord installing new hinges on rotting wood cabinets and vinyl over floorboards that sag underfoot. —

Liam Dillonstaff Writer, Los Angeles Times, 7 Feb. 2023 But the measure failed to advance amid criticism that the tests are inaccurate and based on shoddy science. —

Dan Adams, BostonGlobe.com, 15 Dec. 2022 In golf parlance, it is called losing your tour card, which is a gracious way of saying you were expelled from the top level of golf for shoddy play. —

Bill Pennington, New York Times, 15 May 2023 Today’s shoddy qubits don’t work for very long, so anyons built from them would also have short lifetimes. —

Charlie Wood, Quanta Magazine, 9 May 2023 Tenants living in the 672 units of Marbury Plaza have for more than two years struggled with mold, water intrusion, failing plumbing systems, shoddy electrical wiring, a plague of insect and rodent infestations, and malfunctioning elevators. —

Marissa J. Lang, Washington Post, 9 May 2023 The Intercept’s Liliana Segura and Jordan Smith, who have covered the case and early investigative missteps over the last decade, reported last year that the early police investigation was shoddy at best. —

Matt Ford, The New Republic, 3 May 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shoddy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.