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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 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

Spain versus Argentina in the final 24 hours later was never going to be a purists’ classic, but what unfolded was undoubtedly the dirtiest final since 2010, when the Spanish also faced aggressive, uncompromising opponents — the Netherlands.

— Tim Spiers, New York Times, 20 July 2026
Some Roomba models from as far back as 2004 can still be found in some homes, working away on dirty floors.

— BestReviews, Mercury News, 20 July 2026

Definition of dirty

Adjective

The new buildings also provided cheaper housing options for Caracas workers who couldn’t afford to live in the city.

— Syra Ortiz-Blanes, Miami Herald, 24 July 2026
The Steamfitters were staging protests outside the Pfizer site, accusing the MetroLoft — which employs a mix of union and nonunion contractors — of building on the cheap and tolerating unsafe work conditions.

— Andrew Rice, Curbed, 23 July 2026

Definition of cheap

Adjective

In Michigan alone, more than 7,000 have fallen ill with the nasty foodborne disease, which causes severe diarrhea, and comes from exposure to a parasite in contaminated water used to wash or irrigate crops.

— Amy Feldman, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
Europe has been consumed by a nasty fire season this year, according to the European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS).

— Max Saltman, CNN Money, 22 July 2026

Definition of nasty

Adjective

Hashimi’s tale of unflagging effort amid wretched inequality astounds.

— Monitor reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 23 July 2026
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

Definition of wretched

Browse Nearby Words

scab

scabby

scabrous

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Scabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scabby. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of scabby

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on scabby

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

aerie

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?

Popular

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes