cruddy

adjective

1
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

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in filthy
not clean the refrigerator's cruddy shelves were a sign that the interior had never been cleaned

Synonyms & Similar Words

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
  1. lame
  2. filthy
  3. cheap
  4. dusty
  5. pitiful
  6. stained
  7. dirty
  8. muddy
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
  • Dozens of people had spent almost a year living outside, filthy and exhausted, and for what?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • The cheapest ticket available as of Wednesday was going for $7,451.
    — Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
  • But that mandate has always been balanced with the desire for economic expansion, which is boosted by, oftentimes, cheaper labor and manufacturing costs from importing goods overseas.
    — Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 July 2026
Definition of cheap
Adjective
  • Sedum nussbaumerianum The Coppertone Stonecrop gets its name from the dusty copper color its leaves turn when exposed to sunlight.
    — Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 15 July 2026
  • The dry, dusty air can also help limit some storm development by creating a more stable atmosphere.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 14 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
  • Red flag, a groomer who won’t show you the van, or a van that’s visibly dirty or cluttered.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 13 July 2026
  • Bloomfield says they might get shipped overseas to places where recycling is done in unsafe and dirty conditions.
    — Camila Domonoske, NPR, 13 July 2026
Definition of dirty
Adjective
  • The crabs also burrow in the muddy seafloor to hide from predators and better withstand winter temperatures.
    — Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
  • For thrill-seekers, adventure tours, such as the Hall Crawl or Guts and Glory, offer hands-on spelunking experiences through muddy passages and challenging climbs.
    — Korrin Bishop, Southern Living, 18 July 2026
Definition of muddy

Browse Nearby Words

crud
cruddy
crude
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cruddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cruddy. Accessed 21 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of dog days

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All