CRUDDY Synonyms: 185 Similar and Opposite Words

cruddy

adjective

as in lame

arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust her cruddy treatment of her now-destitute parents, who had put her through medical school

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in filthy

not clean the refrigerator's cruddy shelves were a sign that the interior had never been cleaned

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of cruddy Late October quickly bled into the holidays, which bled into the cold and cruddy winter days when everyone is sick and using every ounce of energy just to get by. — Angela Andaloro, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cruddy

Adjective

But instead of playing kingmaker, the lame-duck governor has refused to get behind a candidate to succeed him.

— Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Stronger and more flavorful than in your original lame iteration?

— Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of lame

Adjective

From shabby apartments to art experiments to filthy needles—with echoes of Patti Smith and Rebecca Makkai—Adler conjures an era of sorrow borne by too many, too young.

— Hamilton Cain, Time, 7 July 2026
A week after Venezuela’s twin earthquakes, doctors warn untreated wounds, filthy shelters and scarce supplies are fueling a looming wave of infections that could claim more lives.

— Regina Garcia Cano, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026

Definition of filthy

Adjective

But the breaking point came when his wife refused to let their young children near any of his half-century-old vehicles, which lacked air bags and the safety features standard in even the cheapest modern cars.

— Zachary Hansen, AJC.com, 10 July 2026
As launch gets cheaper and hardware more standardized, companies can reach into space without having to master or even own the hardware.

— Charlotte Kiang, Forbes.com, 9 July 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

Their Victorian house looks preposterous in this dusty hamlet.

— Judy Berman, Time, 9 July 2026
Miners flooded the dusty flats surrounding this area after three Irish prospectors, who had immigrated to Australia in the hopes of making their fortunes, accidentally stumbled across gold while looking for water in 1893.

— Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

Definition of dusty

Adjective

Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.

— Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.

— Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026

Definition of pitiful

Adjective

Everything from the casting (male dancers, internet faves, and very few actual models) to the scenery (a 191-year-old venue with plenty of stained glass) to the ambiance (candlelit, with lots of bows and florals) embodied the brand's quintessential mix of romance, community, and nostalgia.

— Madeline Hirsch, InStyle, 26 June 2026
Spread the mixture on the stained area; leave it for 15 minutes before wiping it away with a microfiber cloth.

— Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 19 June 2026

Definition of stained

Adjective

Or stands proudly athwart a county that has long demonized it as too dirty, too crime-ridden — in other words, too Latino.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 6 July 2026
At the center sits a giant mound of dirty work clothes, and hidden speakers play a nonstop whisper of the laborers’ names.

— Jeff Chu, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2026

Definition of dirty

Adjective

With Jagger’s vocals often buried deep in the muddy and murky mix, the album initially sounds like a druggy demo.

— Marc Ballon, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026
The rains breached reservoirs, including the dramatic collapse of part of a dam in Hengzhou that inundated a wide area with fast-flowing muddy water.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 July 2026

Definition of muddy

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“Cruddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruddy. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of cruddy

adjective

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