sloppy joe

noun

slop·​py joe ˈslä-pē-ˈjō 

1

often Sloppy Joe : a loose-fitting sweater especially for girls

2

: ground beef cooked in a thick spicy sauce and usually served on a bun

Examples of sloppy joe in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

There will be 12-hour Korean barbecue pulled pork and chicken sliders, as well as Japanese-style sloppy joes, made with a 50/50 beef and veggie ratio tossed in hoisin, plum bitters and Japanese barbecue sauce. —Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 12 Nov. 2025

Picadillo, a main course usually made with ground beef, tomatoes, olives and capers, could be described as a sloppy joe with a Spanish accent. —Faye Levy, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025

To further divorce the meat from its natural state, the chefs presented it in familiar guises: sloppy joes (by the Beach Rats), tacos (the Swamp Rats), and nutria and waffles (the brothers Duck and Deano). —Nathaniel Rich, Harpers Magazine, 20 Aug. 2025

The sloppy joe is an unsung icon of Americana cooking, several rungs down the ladder of respectability from its more celebrated quick-serve cousins, such as the hamburger and the chili dog. —Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

probably from the name Joe, nickname for Joseph

First Known Use

1940, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for sloppy joe

• acknow
• aglow
• ago
• airglow
• aloe
• altho
• although
• ammo
• backflow
• backhoe
• banjo
• barbeau