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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Recent Examples of scabby
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
View this post on Instagram Currently wrapped in a somewhat scabby old blanket, with a face mask on, clutching a lukewarm coffee while attempting and failing to get some decent writing done ? Send help.
—Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, 6 Mar. 2019
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
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
View this post on Instagram Currently wrapped in a somewhat scabby old blanket, with a face mask on, clutching a lukewarm coffee while attempting and failing to get some decent writing done ? Send help.
—Lucy Wood, Marie Claire, 6 Mar. 2019
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
-
With about a year left until the next mayoral election, the attacks from Johnson’s opponents attempting to preemptively paint him as a lame-duck mayor could also turn off candidates worried about job stability, but their contract specifics would vary by agency.—
Alice Yin,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2026
-
Gavin Newsom is officially a lame-duck governor, and his final year in office seems increasingly focused on an almost certain campaign for the White House.—
Dan Walters,
Mercury News,
28 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Mercy came via a bye week, the pitiful Raiders and an inept Cowboys defense.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
13 Jan. 2026
-
Writer-director Craig Brewer resists the temptation to make Mike and Claire in any way pitiful or worthy of derision.—
Peter Tonguette,
The Washington Examiner,
9 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Use of dirty plastic directly To optimize the structure for real-world use, the team utilized computer simulations to identify a design with a high stiffness-to-weight ratio.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Feb. 2026
-
The trucks hauling the snow frolicked in the water, sending dirty gray ripples toward me.—
Naaman Zhou,
New Yorker,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Both Szakin and Zuleta agree that walking is one of the best—and cheapest—ways to take it all in.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
6 Feb. 2026
-
At European resorts specifically, renting a week’s worth of gear is often cheaper (and easier) than checking your skis and boot bags onto international flights.—
Erik Buckingham,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Despite defeat, and a nasty fall, Anne would return to England at the end of the Games, paying homage to her country and the spirit of the British team by choosing to wear their uniform, a light blue suit with white hat, during the trip.—
Laura Scafati,
Vanity Fair,
6 Feb. 2026
-
On Friday, stocks surged after a nasty bout of selling this past week, when software stocks, bitcoin and other risk-on favorites led the market lower.—
Sarah Min,
CNBC,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
More significant, in addition to being wretched, the book is also periodically wise.—
Akhil Sharma,
New Yorker,
28 Jan. 2026
-
In the last three decades of mostly wretched basketball around here, Wall and Gilbert Arenas were, by far, the franchise’s two most iconic players.—
David Aldridge,
New York Times,
27 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
Hearing disgusting lies spread about my brother is absolutely gut-wrenching, and my family is deeply grateful so many people have stood up and helped tell his truth.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
30 Jan. 2026
-
At one point a couple of years ago, Microsoft even used malware-like pop-ups in a disgusting overreach.—
Tom Warren,
The Verge,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
-
What kind of mean girl would confide in me about her husband Evan’s depression and their financial struggles and her estrangement from her father?—
Jen Wang,
Vogue,
6 Feb. 2026
-
And anyone who spends time on social media has probably seen fellow adults post things that are divisive, mean or inaccurate.—
Larry Magid,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Scabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scabby. Accessed 8 Feb. 2026.
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