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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

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

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
  • After the game on Sunday, Harbaugh called the performance sloppy.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Sunday’s season-opening debacle — a sloppy, uninspired and uninspiring 26-14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals at SoFi Stadium — was a first, giant step back for these Chargers.
    — Mirjam Swanson, Los Angeles Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of sloppy
Adjective
  • Juliet Stevenson elegantly plays the aunt who is, naturally, a ripe target for a Ripleyesque murder.
    — Caryn James, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
  • In 2020, as the coronavirus pandemic canceled his classes, Fernández began experimenting with drying ripe plantains, mangos and pineapples.
    — Rick Jervis, USA Today, 10 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
  • Abrams’ shaggy appeal as the everyman hero who somehow manages to overcome every obstacle thrown in his way, including the most monstrous creatures Cregger and his talented creative team could devise, is a key factor in the film’s success.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Designed by Matthieu Blazy, the white column dress featured shaggy sections of black fabric and an asymmetrical, one-shoulder neckline.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of shaggy
Adjective
  • That praise rings true more than a decade later thanks to joke after filthy joke, cameo after foul-mouthed cameo, scare after genuine scare.
    — Sara Netzley, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026
  • People were filthy in so many ways, so Mike really wrote that in.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 20 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 19 Sep. 2026.

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