Synonyms of shabby

shabby

adjective

ˈsha-bē 

1

as in dilapidated

showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect

shabby wallpaper that was peeling from the walls

Synonyms & Similar Words

• dilapidated
• neglected
• scruffy
• tatty
• tattered
• grungy
• miserable
• dumpy
• desolate
• mangy
• tired
• tacky
• tumbledown
• seedy
• abandoned
• threadbare
• ragged
• scrubby
• ratty
• timeworn
• sleazy
• down-at-the-heels
• beat-up
• run-down
• gone to seed
• broken
• ruined
• moth-eaten
• dog-eared
• bombed-out
• unkept
• tatterdemalion
• mean
• damaged
• dingy
• decrepit
• forlorn
• wrecked
• ramshackle
• rickety
• deteriorated
• bedraggled
• destroyed
• decaying
• deteriorating
• broken-down
• worn-out
• godforsaken
• rackety
• injured
• hurt
• impaired
• harmed
• rattletrap

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• new
• fresh
• brand-new
• maintained
• kept-up
• reconstructed
• mended
• patched
• spiffy
• rebuilt
• smart
• cared-for
• spruce

2

as in tattered

worn or torn into or as if into rags

shabby, stained clothes that are barely better than rags

Synonyms & Similar Words

• tattered
• ragged
• faded
• frayed
• seedy
• raggedy
• threadbare
• scruffy
• ratty
• dingy
• worn-out
• dilapidated
• shredded
• dowdy
• decrepit
• patchy
• mangy
• grungy
• tacky
• tatterdemalion
• scuzzy
• broken-down
• lacerate
• holey
• run-down
• dog-eared
• moth-eaten

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• new
• unused
• brand-new
• spick-and-span

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of shabby

The developer that’s built luxury apartment complexes from Wilton and Cheshire to New Haven is proposing a 235-unit complex near New London’s waterfront that would create a complete makeover for what’s considered the shabbiest road in the city. — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 16 Sep. 2026

The first hull in Azimut’s Grande 44M range is, contrary to what the name suggests, actually not too shabby. — Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2026

But returning home after some time with Ye-ji and Sang-woo, their place suddenly looks shabby and cheap. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026

Not too shabby—and the Transparency mode also sounded quite natural! — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026