slovenly

slov·en·ly | \ ˈslə-vən-lē

How to pronounce slovenly (audio)

also ˈslä- \

Definition of slovenly

1a : untidy especially in personal appearance

b : lazily slipshod slovenly in thought

2 : characteristic of a sloven slovenly habits

Other Words from slovenly Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about slovenly

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Examples of slovenly in a Sentence

He dressed in a slovenly manner. for the sake of their image, the band members transformed themselves from clean-cut lads to slovenly rockers

Recent Examples on the Web Think of Silicon Valley, and the notoriously slovenly offices of early Facebook, sticky with beer. — Penelope Green, New York Times, "As Economy Is Upended, Marie Kondo Drops a Workplace Book," 20 Mar. 2020 In 2005, Pepe became a part of Furie’s comic Boy’s Club, a series about a silly, slovenly group of friends in an early-twenties funk. — Emma Grey Ellis, Wired, "Pepe the Frog Foretold the Fraught World of Modern Memes," 27 Jan. 2020 Back to the future: Marijuana advocates in Michigan aren’t thrilled with the state’s new anti-pot advertising campaign, which paints marijuana users as slovenly losers, the Detroit Free Press’ Craig Mauger reports. — cleveland, "Will the recent trade deals have the desired effect on farmers? The Flyover," 20 Jan. 2020 Gilbert and George would never shoulder such a slovenly accessory. — The Economist, "Grave hopping with Gilbert & George," 15 Nov. 2019 Contrary to outdated stereotypes about video gamers being unhealthy, solitary, and slovenly young people, esports has largely become about bringing a healthy, social, and structured form of team play to the video games industry. — Wired, "High Schools Need to Get Over It and Embrace Esports," 10 Oct. 2019 Fat people were typically shown as sexless, slovenly, and utterly devoid of inner lives. — Kate Harding, Teen Vogue, "How Far Have We Really Come for Fat Acceptance?," 26 Aug. 2019 Rees-Mogg was appointed by the famously slovenly Boris Johnson. — Burbank Leader, "A Word, Please: New leader of Britain’s House of Commons imposes unusual grammar rules," 22 Aug. 2019 That’s not to say the filmmaking is slovenly or the acting lacks commitment, but the observations regarding Montreal’s homeless population and the inequities of our entire global economic capitalist system become, well, fishy. — Michael Phillips, Detroit Free Press, "‘Fall of the American Empire’ is annoyingly preachy," 11 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'slovenly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 Jun 2020

Cite this Entry

“Slovenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slovenly. Accessed 3 Jun. 2020.

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