1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
shabby wallpaper that was peeling from the walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shabby
His production fell to 21 goals and 56 points this season, but that’s not too shabby considering how anemic the Predators were offensively this year.
—
Harman Dayal, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Designed for 3-D, parts of the crash plant the viewer smack in the middle of Death’s brutal rampage, but the digital effects are often shabby and unconvincing.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
The president’s own obvious aged infirmity was what ultimately caused Democrats to force him out of the 2024 race, but his son’s many years of shabby buckraking, both in active addiction and recovery, helped destroy Joe Biden’s image as a straight shooter.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 13 May 2025
From shabby to chic: Hotel Gellért in Budapest had become a run-down relic.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Harman Dayal, New York Times, 30 May 2025
Designed for 3-D, parts of the crash plant the viewer smack in the middle of Death’s brutal rampage, but the digital effects are often shabby and unconvincing.
—Gayle Sequeira, Vulture, 16 May 2025
The president’s own obvious aged infirmity was what ultimately caused Democrats to force him out of the 2024 race, but his son’s many years of shabby buckraking, both in active addiction and recovery, helped destroy Joe Biden’s image as a straight shooter.
—Chris Stirewalt, The Hill, 13 May 2025
From shabby to chic: Hotel Gellért in Budapest had become a run-down relic.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shabby
Adjective
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Elsewhere, though, anxiety permeates the dilapidated bars, karaoke clubs, and music halls into which Jia pokes his camera.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
2 May 2025
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In Los Angeles, $500,000 gets you a dilapidated hut in the hood with a permanent police siren soundtrack.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
30 May 2025
Adjective
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Set in the year 3333 on a desolate alien world, players take on the role of the Swordsman, a somewhat blank slate character with minimalist features clad in a tattered cloak.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
24 June 2025
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And then, in close-up, a bulldozer turns over rubble, and a family photograph is glimpsed in the debris, a tattered symbol of what has been lost.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
25 May 2025
Adjective
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What’s a neglected part of your ME—your health, learning, or joy?—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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But the area where these cuts will be felt most acutely is with respect to elder abuse, which is already a neglected area of health care and social services.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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An unkempt lawn with ragged edges signals a lack of care to all who pass it by.—
Sophie Flaxman,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 June 2025
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In the clip, the small dog scuttles into the room clutching his ragged bear, which has a hole that has caused its stuffing to spill out.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
Adjective
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Staining not only revives faded wood but also helps protect it from sun, moisture and insects.—
Angie Hicks,
Boston Herald,
27 June 2025
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Select a faded flower and follow the stem down, cutting it 12 inches or more below the bloom, deep into the plant to encourage more long stems.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shabby. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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