as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person
for the sake of their image, the band members transformed themselves from clean-cut lads to slovenly rockers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sloppily
in a careless or unfashionable manner
an employee who went overboard on dress-down day and was reprimanded for dressing slovenly on the job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slovenly
Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
To them, flame is slovenly, backward, even atavistic, tolerable only when used for ceremonial purposes.
—Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Giraffes at least keep the water sports to themselves; their slovenly, muck-loving neighbors, on the other hand, spread the excrement far and wide.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Slough House is headed by the slovenly, flatulent, and frequently intoxicated Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who routinely heaps verbal abuse on his staff.
—Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for slovenly
Adjective
Corruption within the organization, after all, is as much a part of the show as Jackson Lamb’s slovenly habits and horrible diet.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 9 Oct. 2024
To them, flame is slovenly, backward, even atavistic, tolerable only when used for ceremonial purposes.
—Stephen Pyne, Scientific American, 16 Apr. 2024
Giraffes at least keep the water sports to themselves; their slovenly, muck-loving neighbors, on the other hand, spread the excrement far and wide.
—Cody Cottier, Discover Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024
Slough House is headed by the slovenly, flatulent, and frequently intoxicated Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who routinely heaps verbal abuse on his staff.
—Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023
See All Example Sentences for slovenly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slovenly
Adjective
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Crystal Skull is easily Spielberg’s laziest, sloppiest work — even the action sequences seem phoned-in — and it’s filled with unforgivable howlers: Shia LaBeouf’s limp attempt at being a bad boy, Cate Blanchett’s hammy villain, the goddamn fridge scene.—
Tim Grierson,
Vulture,
20 June 2025
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The Cardinals took full advantage of the sloppy inning, scoring five runs on the way to clobbering the Sox 12-2 in front of 16,974 at Rate Field.—
LaMond Pope,
Chicago Tribune,
18 June 2025
Adjective
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Head out onto the water to sail around the archipelago, keeping your eyes peeled for breaching minke whales and bearded seals, as well as shaggy muskoxen—one of the few megafauna to survive the Ice Age—and Arctic wolves patrolling the shoreline.—
Chloe Berge,
Outside Online,
17 June 2025
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For the occasion, Taylor-Johnson kept his curls shaggy.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
16 June 2025
Adjective
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Most wine lovers know that the word Sauvignon comes from the French word sauvage and the word blanc simply means white, but most people don’t know the reason is because when untrained vines of the variety have a distinctly unkempt appearance.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
4 Nov. 2024
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But, as in these United States, the key question remains whether creeping totalitarianism — from the left and the right — will squeeze everyday people out of their inalienable right to just be their sometimes obnoxious, unkempt, idiosyncratic selves.—
Ed Wallace,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2024
Adjective
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And being untidy is considered a personal failing in our culture, a breach of the moral code.—
Marla Jo Fisher,
Oc Register,
21 May 2025
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Even her confession of her untidy bathroom eschews the pedestal of celebrity.—
Jessica Ourisman,
Forbes.com,
11 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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As for her glam, the jewelry designer tossed her hair back into a messy bun with strands of hair to frame her face.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
17 June 2025
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Worn with the wrong pieces, the look can seem messy or ill-defined.—
René Chávez Esparza,
Glamour,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slovenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slovenly. Accessed 28 Jun. 2025.
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