variants
or frowzy
1
as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person
sported a threadbare wardrobe and frowsy hair
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in ripe
having an unpleasant smell
the abandoned house was dank and frowsy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of frowsy
Lenker, in plaid, rubs her eyes; James Krivchenia leans forward, sparky and alert; Meek, outdoors in the Topanga sunshine, wears cycling glasses and a frowzy hat.
—
Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Sep. 2025
Before the current renovation of the franchised hotels, the rooms looked as if they were stuck in a fussy, frowsy 1980s floral rut.
—BostonGlobe.com, 3 Oct. 2019
Emma Madden, Pitchfork, 4 Sep. 2025
Before the current renovation of the franchised hotels, the rooms looked as if they were stuck in a fussy, frowsy 1980s floral rut.
—BostonGlobe.com, 3 Oct. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frowsy
Adjective
-
These Amazon finds are made for petite travelers who want to stay comfortable without defaulting to sloppy sweats.—
Chaise Sanders,
Travel + Leisure,
14 May 2026
-
Spurs seemed to run out of energy and their passing became sloppy.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Adjective
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The scam driving the narrative is a live one, featuring the Gowanus Canal, then New York City’s most polluted body of water and ripe for development, a few dozen blocks north of Little Odessa.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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Refrigerating ripe bananas can slow further ripening for several days, though the peels may darken quickly.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
18 May 2026
Adjective
-
Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Not the good, high-altitude ozone that shields us from dangerous UV light, but bad ozone, hovering right above ground level — stinking, brownish, grayish photochemical smog.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Mar. 2026
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Their solution to a stinking run was, comically, to rely on less than 23 per cent of possession and pick Madrid off with a classy volley from Martin Satriano, below.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
3 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Continue tossing with the fork until the dough is just evenly damp and shaggy, being careful not to overwork the dough too much.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 May 2026
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Wearing an Old 97’s T-shirt that hints at his Texas days, the shaggy haired promoter is putting out small fires ahead of the first major show at the 4,500-seat Grind City Amp, a new venue six years in the making, whose soaring stage frames Bluff City’s riverside skyline.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
Adjective
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Inside, filthy soldiers press up against the wood.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
12 May 2026
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Baker said while Fike's immediate surroundings were filthy, a brand-new hospital bed, urinal and wheelchair were available at the home.—
Madeline Bartos,
CBS News,
7 May 2026
Adjective
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And this is where the movie takes off from retro mythology to become its own slovenly mod thing.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
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To Washington, a beard made a man look unkempt and slovenly, masking the higher emotions that civility required.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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But dismissing it as fusty would be an unfortunate act of self-deprivation.—
Rachel Howard,
San Francisco Chronicle,
11 Apr. 2026
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However simple his artistic code, few Britpop-era megastars have done more than Albarn to forswear allegiance to fusty rock purism—perhaps not even Thom Yorke, who may have written Kid A but did not go so far as naming his child after Missy Elliott.—
Jazz Monroe,
Pitchfork,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frowsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frowsy. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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