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
Marshall was soon welcomed into the scruffy jam band’s inner circle.
—
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Become a Subscriber That Caught Stealing echoes the scruffy, anything-goes atmosphere of Aronofsky’s earliest work gives it a sense of frenzied nostalgia.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for scruffy
Stephanie Nolasco, FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025
Become a Subscriber That Caught Stealing echoes the scruffy, anything-goes atmosphere of Aronofsky’s earliest work gives it a sense of frenzied nostalgia.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 29 Aug. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for scruffy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scruffy
Adjective
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Earlier this year, Saiz Bilbao arrived at a dilapidated building still under construction, its entrance via a seemingly endless stretch of stairs that led to a window-less hostel.—
Georgiana Ralphs,
CNN Money,
31 Oct. 2025
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Now, charred and dilapidated buildings dot the small city center.—
NPR,
NPR,
25 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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Few sights are as heart-wrenching as a neglected animal in need.—
Allison Moses,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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Those plans were later abandoned during the pandemic and the house joined Denver’s neglected and derelict building list in 2024.—
Justin Wingerter,
Denver Post,
8 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Scruffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scruffy. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.
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