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

• blowsy
• blowzy
• dowdy
• frowsy
• frowzy
• slobbish
• slobby
• sloven
• slovenly
• unkempt
• untidy

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

Seattle Seahawks 26, Denver Broncos 20: The Seahawks overcame a sloppy first half that included two safeties to prevail in the debut of new coach Mike Macdonald. —Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 10 Sep. 2024

This revelation highlights a potentially dangerous side effect to sloppy tax policy drafting and policing: placing funds in the hands of criminal organizations and aiding them in diversifying their revenue streams. —Andrew Leahey, Forbes, 6 Sep. 2024

Those milder winders are also clearly migrating northward, changing what areas have snowy winters and what areas get sloppy wet weather. —Caitlin Looby, Journal Sentinel, 5 Sep. 2024

Part sloppy and overly reverent tribute, part hilarious 1970s gross-out romp, and an all-out assault to recreate the adrenaline rush of producing that inaugural SNL, Jason Reitman‘s Saturday Night seeks to bring folks back to the 90 minutes leading up to the 90 minutes that changed the world. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 1 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sloppy

• sloppy joe

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