sloppy

adjective

slop·​py ˈslä-pē How to pronounce sloppy (audio)
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 adverb
sloppiness noun

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
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
But what surprises me is that the playing was a little sloppy back then, but the vocals were really tight. Chris Willman, Variety, 31 Oct. 2024 For decades, Bears fans have grown accustomed to quarterbacks who can’t really recover from a sloppy start or — in the case of Williams’ predecessor, Justin Fields — quarterbacks who can’t consistently punctuate impressive performances with a game-winning finish. Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune, 31 Oct. 2024 After cooking the sweet and savory sloppy Joe filling, top with cheese and rolls, and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese is just melted. Get The Recipe 42 of 60 Chicken-Bell Pepper Tacos Ready in 20 minutes Bell peppers make all the difference in this not-so-typical taco night meal. Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 27 Oct. 2024 It’s been a sloppy, uneven but ultimately interesting game so far. Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 15 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for sloppy 

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sloppy was in 1672

Dictionary Entries Near sloppy

Cite this Entry

“Sloppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sloppy. Accessed 12 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

sloppy

adjective
slop·​py ˈsläp-ē How to pronounce sloppy (audio)
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 adverb
sloppiness
ˈsläp-ē-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sloppy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!