as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
a mangy old car that was covered in rust
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of mangy
Talking Heads played their first gig in June, 1975, opening for the Ramones at CBGB, a rock club on a mangy block in the East Village.
—
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
That also includes Leonard, a dapper old parrot who lives in the clinic, and Bitchy, a mangy, rangy alley cat who recently wandered into the office and took up residence.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 30 July 2025
His Orlok is more feral and red-blooded than previous iterations, appearing swathed in ursine furs and accompanied by mangy curs.
—Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
Davis was more or less rocking his signature look — a red Adidas tracksuit, hair in mangy dreads.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 4 Oct. 2024
The father, in a black frock coat, cracked his whip at a mangy and irritated lion who eventually agreed to jump through a hoop.
—Rosanna Warren, Harper's Magazine, 25 June 2024
In several cases, the cloned dog’s appeal appeared to lie partly in physical problems or a difficult start in life: the dog found as a mangy stray or rescued from a kill shelter or a bad breeder; the needy dog or the purebred with a non-ideal characteristic.
—Alexandra Horowitz, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025
That also includes Leonard, a dapper old parrot who lives in the clinic, and Bitchy, a mangy, rangy alley cat who recently wandered into the office and took up residence.
—Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 30 July 2025
His Orlok is more feral and red-blooded than previous iterations, appearing swathed in ursine furs and accompanied by mangy curs.
—Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024
Davis was more or less rocking his signature look — a red Adidas tracksuit, hair in mangy dreads.
—Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 4 Oct. 2024
The father, in a black frock coat, cracked his whip at a mangy and irritated lion who eventually agreed to jump through a hoop.
—Rosanna Warren, Harper's Magazine, 25 June 2024
In several cases, the cloned dog’s appeal appeared to lie partly in physical problems or a difficult start in life: the dog found as a mangy stray or rescued from a kill shelter or a bad breeder; the needy dog or the purebred with a non-ideal characteristic.
—Alexandra Horowitz, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mangy
Adjective
-
The project was planned to clear the area of outdated and dilapidated buildings, to attract new businesses and promote economic revitalization.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
-
The trip could also see China give the go-ahead for the UK to rebuild its dilapidated embassy in Beijing.—
Brendan Murray,
Bloomberg,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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The department issued heavy fines and ultimately shuttered a neglected building in Denver’s uptown neighborhood last year that was owned by CBZ Management.—
Sam Tabachnik,
Denver Post,
8 Jan. 2026
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The narrative highlights the growing, unseen populations of lonely and neglected individuals, shedding light on a vital but often ignored aspect of public care.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Dec. 2025
Adjective
-
The scruffy stage manager, Bunny, turns out to be posher than the monocled director, Meredith.—
Christopher Tayler,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
-
All but unrecognizable behind his scruffy beard, Poulter blends right in with these hard-knock folks, whose homemade tattoos and missing teeth are the real deal.—
Peter Debruge,
Variety,
25 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Mangy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mangy. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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