1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
shabby wallpaper that was peeling from the walls
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
shabby, stained clothes that are barely better than rags
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shabby
His lightning guitar work — alongside a mandolinist, fiddler, upright-bassist and banjo player who are not too shabby on their respective strings themselves — delivered a rollicking half-hour that gave the fans in the bleachers plenty to dance to.
—
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
Running back D'Andre Swift hasn't been too shabby either.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Not a shabby blast for a fashion mag right out of the starting gate, but then again, 72 isn’t just any mag.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Meg lived in a somewhat offbeat district, but the tall shabby houses, some of them painted in garish colours, were soon left behind and gave place to discreetly glistening cream or white facades behind one of which Leonora lived.
—Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 21 Sep. 2025
Running back D'Andre Swift hasn't been too shabby either.
—Robert Marvi, MSNBC Newsweek, 19 Sep. 2025
Not a shabby blast for a fashion mag right out of the starting gate, but then again, 72 isn’t just any mag.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 16 Sep. 2025
Meg lived in a somewhat offbeat district, but the tall shabby houses, some of them painted in garish colours, were soon left behind and gave place to discreetly glistening cream or white facades behind one of which Leonora lived.
—Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shabby
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
-
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
-
Wallen then stumbles to his feet in the middle of the road, as rain pours down, with close-up images showing Wallen in tattered clothes and covered in scrapes and cuts.—
Jessica Nicholson,
Billboard,
1 Oct. 2025
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Inflation remains stubbornly high and the economic outlook subdued, frustrating efforts to repair tattered public services and ease the cost of living.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
29 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
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
-
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
Adjective
-
Blades with ragged edges can be a sign of insects chewing on the blades, and tunneling below the surface or turf that can be lifted like a rug can indicate larvae are feeding on the root system.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
29 Sep. 2025
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The architecture matches the vibe; there's bloodlust in the air and even among the ragged fans who camp along the road outside.—
Neda Ulaby,
NPR,
19 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
One man, wearing a faded Scott Kingery shirt, admired the view from behind home plate on the club level.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
29 Sep. 2025
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In 1975, Elvis was a faded star in Vegas and Robert Johnson was just another obscure dead bluesman.—
Rob Sheffield,
Rolling Stone,
22 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shabby. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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