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

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

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

Skin-tight is out, baggy is in, and these buttery-soft pieces prove that comfort doesn’t have to equal sloppy. —Katie Ann Lehman, StyleCaster, 24 Oct. 2025

These records aren’t sloppy mistakes—they’re the default behavior of most agentic AI systems. —Keivan Navaie, IEEE Spectrum, 22 Oct. 2025

In Los Angeles, the Lakers and Warriors combined for 39 turnovers in a sloppy opener that was played as James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, watched from the sideline due to sciatica that could keep him out for several more weeks. —Andrew Greif, NBC news, 22 Oct. 2025

Gibbs’ performance came at the perfect time for the Lions, with quarterback Jared Goff having an uncharacteristically sloppy game, throwing one interception and losing a fumble. —Ben Morse, CNN Money, 21 Oct. 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