sloppy

adjective

slop·​py ˈslä-pē 

sloppier; sloppiest

1

a

: wet so as to spatter easily : slushy

a sloppy racetrack

b

: wet or smeared with or as if with something slopped over

2

: slovenly, careless

a sloppy dresser

did sloppy work

3

: disagreeably effusive

sloppy sentimentalism

sloppily

ˈslä-pə-lē 

adverb

sloppiness noun

Synonyms of sloppy

• messy
• slovenly
• wrinkled
• shaggy
• untidy
• unkempt
• filthy
• dowdy
• chaotic

Examples of sloppy in a Sentence

Your work has been very sloppy lately.

a sloppy child who always seems to have spilled something on his clothes

Recent Examples on the Web

The Heat took advantage of the Pacers’ sloppy play, scoring 38 points off 26 Pacers turnovers. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 28 Dec. 2025

The soft, stretchy, throw-on-and-go styles in my suitcase and closet can handle a full day without looking sloppy. —Talia Ergas, Travel + Leisure, 27 Dec. 2025

This no-fuss dinner features a cheesy middle layer that gives the favorite sloppy sandwich an upgrade. —Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 23 Dec. 2025

But my days felt both hectic and aimless, a sloppy collage of sitting in Zoom meetings, responding to a self-replenishing firehouse of emails and Slack messages, and making endless tiny tweaks to our volunteer management system. —Literary Hub, 22 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sloppy

• sloppy joe

Rhymes for sloppy

• choppy
• copy
• floppy
• poppy
• atopy
• photocopy

Kids Definition

sloppy

adjective

slop·​py ˈsläp-ē 

sloppier; sloppiest

1

a

: wet so as to spatter easily : slushy

b

: wet with or as if with something slopped over

2

: slovenly, careless

a sloppy dresser

3

: overly sentimental

sloppily

ˈsläp-ə-lē 

adverb

sloppiness

ˈsläp-ē-nəs

noun