SCABBY Synonyms: 79 Similar and Opposite Words

scabby

adjective

ˈska-bē

Definition of scabby

as in lame

arousing or deserving of one's loathing and disgust that's a scabby trick to play on someone trying to help

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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 scabby One of the most common is apple scab, which is a fungal disease that causes dark, scabby spots to appear on the leaves and fruit. — Helena Madden, Martha Stewart, 31 May 2026 Wheat can be treated to remove scabby kernels. — Tom W. Allen, The Conversation, 12 Nov. 2025 Darken and thicken it for old and scabby goop. — Mark Hay, Popular Science, 9 Oct. 2025 There were the same cars on the blocks, the clotheslines, and the scabby back yards. — Jennifer Wilson, New Yorker, 28 Sep. 2025 As buzzy, crowd-pleasing indie comedies got snatched up for millions, the festival's scabby mutant black sheep went untouched, until horror-specific streaming service Shudder stepped in. — Charles Bramesco, Esquire, 20 July 2017 People walk up and try to grab a sample with dirty, bleeding, scabby hands not realizing that other people will also be sampling that food. — Abigail Van Buren, Twin Cities, 31 Mar. 2017

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scabby

Adjective

But instead of playing kingmaker, the lame-duck governor has refused to get behind a candidate to succeed him.

— Romy Ellenbogen Herald, Miami Herald, 6 July 2026
Stronger and more flavorful than in your original lame iteration?

— Padgett Powell, Harpers Magazine, 30 June 2026

Definition of lame

Adjective

Completing the hat trick in pitiful style, Taking on the World was shot on a shoestring budget, helmed by the man behind Highlander III, and forced to rely on stock footage of real-life footballers.

— Jon O'Brien, Vulture, 26 June 2026
Given the national team’s pitiful demise at the Oval, with New Zealand completing victory on the fifth morning, Ben Stokes’ revival in absentia feels like the only consolation from a miserable week.

— Hector Vickers, New York Times, 21 June 2026

Definition of pitiful

Adjective

The cheapest ticket available as of Wednesday was going for $7,451.

— Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 17 July 2026
But that mandate has always been balanced with the desire for economic expansion, which is boosted by, oftentimes, cheaper labor and manufacturing costs from importing goods overseas.

— Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 16 July 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

Lyndsy Fonseca, rapper Russ, Tom Cavanagh, Hunter King, Joseph Lee Anderson and Rob Riggle star in the indie film, which concerns a group of campers who run into a nasty, giant, prehistoric spider.

— William Earl, Variety, 15 July 2026
At that point, a nasty nearly $7 million a day ticking fee takes effect that will find Paramount on the hook for hundreds of millions out to WBD shareholders each month until the matter gets regulatory approval.

— Dominic Patten, Deadline, 13 July 2026

Definition of nasty

Adjective

Sixteen children from the same family who were rescued from a dilapidated home in rural Ohio were living in wretched conditions with human waste all around, confined to just one room over much of the past four years, authorities said.

— CBS News, CBS News, 1 July 2026
The Giants, who went on to lose yesterday, are now 31-46, and the vibes are wretched.

— Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 22 June 2026

Definition of wretched

Adjective

Deer-Proof Your Garden To keep your flowers from being gobbled up by deer—one of the most heartbreaking of all garden misfortunes—choose flowers that people find glorious and deer find disgusting.

— Mary Alice Russell, Southern Living, 13 July 2026
Where critics see disgusting piles of stuff, hoarders see more.

— Shivali H. Patra, Mercury News, 8 July 2026

Definition of disgusting

Adjective

Free-flowing tournament favorites versus the tournament’s meanest defense.

— David Hickey, NBC news, 14 July 2026
The Crosstrek also has decent off-road capability as a base model and can easily be enhanced with tires or purchased from the factory as a mean off-roading machine (Crosstrek Wilderness).

— Charles Singh, USA Today, 14 July 2026

Definition of mean

Browse Nearby Words

scab

scabby

scabrous

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“Scabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scabby. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of scabby

adjective

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