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

Brock Purdy threw three touchdown passes in his return from a toe injury, Christian McCaffrey had two rushing touchdowns and a receiving score, and the San Francisco 49ers beat the sloppy Arizona Cardinals 41-22 on Sunday. —CBS News, 16 Nov. 2025

The discrepancy that led to the write off was due to sloppy accounting, not fraud, according to officials. —Gillian Stawiszynski, Cincinnati Enquirer, 15 Nov. 2025

Even testers with mid-volume feet and legs said they felt supported and locked in, not sloppy. —Jenny Wiegand, Outside, 13 Nov. 2025

Ten Hag was furious at a sloppy defensive display that saw United let a 2-0 lead slip, with defeat seeming inevitable, only for Harry Maguire to salvage a 3-3 draw by scoring in injury time. —Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 11 Nov. 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