slapdash

adjective

slap·​dash ˈslap-ˌdash How to pronounce slapdash (audio)
-ˈdash

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An early recorded use of slapdash comes from 17th-century British poet and dramatist John Dryden, who used it as an adverb in his play The Kind Keeper. "Down I put the notes slap-dash," he wrote. The Oxford English Dictionary defines this sense, in part, as "with, or as with, a slap and a dash," perhaps suggesting the notion of an action (such as painting) performed with quick, imprecise movements. The adjective slapdash is familiar today describing something done in a hasty, careless, or haphazard manner.

Examples of slapdash in a Sentence

the police department's investigation of the charges against the mayor was slapdash and not very thorough
Recent Examples on the Web Was all this slapdash music generation serving in some way to devalue music in my life? Max Vehuni, one half of the indie-pop duo slenderbodies, talked me off that ledge. Chris Velazco, Washington Post, 5 July 2024 All that history means Delta is far from a slapdash app quickly thrown together to take advantage of Apple's new openness to emulation. Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 18 Apr. 2024 But without state licenses, the shops were playing by their own set of rules — no testing, slapdash labeling, no taxes — which even the staunchest legalization advocates feared could choke out the nascent legal industry. Nicholas Fandos, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024 The internet tends to flatten all that, though; a casual user might not know the difference between a trusted source and a slapdash amateur. Drew Harwell, Washington Post, 7 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for slapdash 

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

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1792, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of slapdash was circa 1792

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Dictionary Entries Near slapdash

Cite this Entry

“Slapdash.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slapdash. Accessed 4 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

slapdash

adjective
slap·​dash ˈslap-ˌdash How to pronounce slapdash (audio)
-ˈdash
Last Updated: - Definition revised
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