as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
dressed in scruffy old clothes to clean out the garage
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of scruffy
The actor also notably sported a different look than usual above the shoulders, including long curly blond locks and a less-scruffy facial-hair configuration.
—
Jen Juneau, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Courtesy of Rachael and Alex Gagnon After being dumped on the side of the road in upstate New York, a scruffy dog named Lylah found her forever home with couple Rachael and Alex Gagnon.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
Gilroy’s version was an origin story tracing the making of a revolutionary, the education of Cassian Andor as a scruffy, reluctant malcontent who is radicalized into a rebel leader.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2025
Gnarled trees and scruffy brush fill one side of the road, on the other the sandy embankment of the beach.
—Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scruffy
Jen Juneau, People.com, 25 Aug. 2025
Courtesy of Rachael and Alex Gagnon After being dumped on the side of the road in upstate New York, a scruffy dog named Lylah found her forever home with couple Rachael and Alex Gagnon.
—Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Aug. 2025
Gilroy’s version was an origin story tracing the making of a revolutionary, the education of Cassian Andor as a scruffy, reluctant malcontent who is radicalized into a rebel leader.
—Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 13 Aug. 2025
Gnarled trees and scruffy brush fill one side of the road, on the other the sandy embankment of the beach.
—Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for scruffy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scruffy
Adjective
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The demolition of the former dilapidated Northridge Mall, which began last year, is finished.—
Hannah Kirby,
jsonline.com,
1 Oct. 2025
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The restaurant is the joint labor of love for couple Wessie and Tradd Newton, who have stewarded the location from a dilapidated structure into a local institution.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
26 Sep. 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
“Scruffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scruffy. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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