as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
changed into an old flannel shirt and a scrubby pair of jeans to clean out the garage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scrubby
Stick to the gentler blue scour pads, the scrubby side of your sponge, or a Scrub Daddy/Mommy.
—
Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 10 Feb. 2023
The rocky summit is partially protected by scrubby evergreens and a fire tower affords fantastic views of all of western Maine.
—Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2022
The rugged coasts are lined with scrubby grasses and smatterings of wildflowers, all the way up to the turquoise waters.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2022
Mike Wood is a forager who can find edible plants in Utah at any time of the year, and in nearly any biome — in scrubby deserts and alpine meadows, or in urban neighborhoods, growing up through cracks in sidewalks or in unmowed street medians.
—Stefene Russell, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for scrubby
Alex Beggs, Bon Appétit, 10 Feb. 2023
The rocky summit is partially protected by scrubby evergreens and a fire tower affords fantastic views of all of western Maine.
—Outside Online, 23 Nov. 2022
The rugged coasts are lined with scrubby grasses and smatterings of wildflowers, all the way up to the turquoise waters.
—Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Nov. 2022
Mike Wood is a forager who can find edible plants in Utah at any time of the year, and in nearly any biome — in scrubby deserts and alpine meadows, or in urban neighborhoods, growing up through cracks in sidewalks or in unmowed street medians.
—Stefene Russell, The Salt Lake Tribune, 29 Oct. 2022
See All Example Sentences for scrubby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scrubby
Adjective
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Dayna is unemployed and newly single, and an out-of-the-blue opportunity to fix up a dilapidated mansion into an influencer house seems like her ticket to a new life.—
Clare Mulroy,
USA Today,
31 Aug. 2025
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Nearly two weeks after San Jose began dismantling its largest homeless encampment, the city is set to open its first-ever safe sleeping site, which will provide tents for dozens of the approximately 370 residents who have lived in dilapidated RVs and squalor at Columbus Park.—
Devan Patel,
Mercury News,
31 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Same premise as the exterior, but even more important: Don’t buy a car with a neglected interior.—
Jimmy Camp,
Oc Register,
4 Aug. 2025
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Close the Loop Following through on commitments is the simplest and yet shockingly most neglected way to earn long-term trust.—
Serenity Gibbons,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scrubby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scrubby. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.
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