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
-
The Penguins were sloppy in the defensive zone and didn’t put the Flyers away on the power play.—
Josh Yohe,
New York Times,
8 Mar. 2026
-
A couple sloppy Westlake possessions have given the Lady Tigers the momentum.—
American-Statesman staff,
Austin American Statesman,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
For cooks whose marmalade aspirations are more immediate, the time is also ripe for cooking with the jarred stuff, letting its bittersweet brightness chase winter away.—
The New York Times News Service Syndicate,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Mash a ripe avocado directly onto the toast with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice and a pinch of flaky salt.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
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
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This is about a team with a top-10 payroll whose GM committed too stinking much of it to dogs that can’t, or won’t, pull the sled.—
Sean Keeler,
The Denver Post,
22 Dec. 2019
Adjective
-
The look was completed with a side part and shaggy bangs.—
Anna Kaufman,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Velasquez says that shaggy layers are a great way to give natural curls movement and life.—
Audrey Noble,
InStyle,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Her jeans are filthy; her blonde hair hangs in loose, greasy strings; bruises speckle her thin arms, and there’s a patch of blood above her right eye.—
Outside,
Outside,
10 Mar. 2026
-
Allegations of betting on suicide Like other detainees, Ramsingh said that between cleanings, the rooms, restrooms and showers were often filthy and infested with insects.—
Morgan Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Mar. 2026
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
Adjective
-
The image that usually beckons of a vintage store is one that is fusty, cramped and dimly lit, filled with garments organized without design or backstory.—
Leah Dolan,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The strategy has worked—the film is doing well at the box office—but Chalamet’s energy has vibed uncomfortably with the fusty atmosphere of awards-season campaigning, where glad-handing with showbiz retirees and eating rubber chicken at galas is still very much the norm.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
12 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Frowsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/frowsy. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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