frowsy

adjective

ˈfrau̇-zē How to pronounce frowsy (audio)
variants or frowzy
Definition of frowsynext
1
as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person sported a threadbare wardrobe and frowsy hair

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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

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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for frowsy
  1. sloppy
  2. ripe
  3. wrinkled
  4. stinking
  5. shaggy
  6. filthy
  7. slovenly
  8. fusty
Adjective
  • But a 17-point win masked how off-kilter and sloppy the offense looked against the overmatched Huskies.
    — John Talty, Vanity Fair, 2 Sep. 2026
  • Vaughn Grissom drove in four runs, rookie Walbert Ureña pitched seven strong innings and the Los Angeles Angels ended a seven-game losing streak with a 10-1 victory over the sloppy New York Yankees on Monday night.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • Their ripe fruit can fall and stain sidewalks and patios, so make sure the tree has plenty of room away from those areas in your yard.
    — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 1 Sep. 2026
  • It can be made year-round, substituting in whatever fruit is available, ripe and delicious.
    — Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of ripe
Adjective
  • Participants with wet but non-wrinkled fingers required significantly more force to maintain the same hold; their hands were working harder to do less.
    — Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
  • Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 8 Feb. 2026
Definition of wrinkled
Adjective
  • America’s political landscape has become a stinking mess.
    — Mary Ellen Klas, Boston Herald, 1 June 2026
  • 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
Definition of stinking
Adjective
  • There’s little tension or drive, just shaggy scenes about paranoia, trust and hope.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
  • So much of it has degraded—tapes rotted to spooky fuzz, videos with shaggy images and too‑white faces.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of shaggy
Adjective
  • People were filthy in so many ways, so Mike really wrote that in.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 Aug. 2026
  • While sinks can become filthy from soap splatters and dirty hands, toilets need cleaning for very different reasons.
    — Karen Brewer Grossman, Southern Living, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of filthy
Adjective
  • And this is where the movie takes off from retro mythology to become its own slovenly mod thing.
    — Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 4 Mar. 2026
  • 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
Definition of slovenly
Adjective
  • Rooms feel traditional, yet never fusty, with cheerful blue and green quilts and rich wood furnishings.
    — Lila Harron Battis, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026
  • No one’s fusty, but there’s the traditional one and there’s the modern one.
    — K.J. Yossman, Variety, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of fusty

Browse Nearby Words

frowsty
frowsy
froze
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Cite this Entry

“Frowsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frowsy. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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