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
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Jeans This ‘90s-style denim by Levi’s has a slightly slouchy fit (that doesn’t border on the side of sloppy) with a straight leg.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
5 Mar. 2026
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Roads may get a bit sloppy, too, with ponding possible in spots and even some icing far north and west of the city.—
Justin Lewis,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Right now, the market is ripe, so much so that TJX is having to tap the brakes, according to Herrman.—
Kevin Stankiewicz,
CNBC,
4 Mar. 2026
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Avoid storing ripe bananas next to unripe ones.—
Olivia McIntosh,
Martha Stewart,
3 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
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Unlike typical mice with short gray-brown coats, these woolly mice have long dirty-blond hair that mimics the shaggy fur that helped protect mammoths from the Arctic cold.—
Rob Stein,
NPR,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Fisher accessorized with oversized sunglasses, point-toe heels, and a small brown handbag, wearing her long tresses in beachy waves with shaggy fringe.—
Hannah Malach,
InStyle,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Kelli Bryant, 34, was facing three counts each of child abuse related to allegedly forcing her three children, a 15-year-old boy and a 13- and 12-year-old girl, to live in unbearable, filthy conditions in an apartment on Lydia Lane.—
Paula Wethington,
CBS News,
25 Feb. 2026
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Other parts of the ballpark, including the exterior concourse and entrances, were also impacted by the filthy leaks, which stunk to high heaven.—
Gary Phillips,
Hartford Courant,
22 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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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
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The other near certainty in Lead Actor should be Gary Oldman, who anchors Slow Horses with a slovenly charisma that is, against all odds, deeply watchable.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
24 May 2025
Adjective
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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
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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 9 Mar. 2026.
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