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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shabby
Not too shabby for a guy who is close to free in many drafts right now.
—
Jake Ciely, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Many of us long for the days of the old South Beach, with its neighborhood bakeries, languid pace, shabby but genuine character, and the retired people who loved the place.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Don’t let the term ‘first flat’ fool you—Diana’s early digs were anything but shabby.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
Curtains that aren’t the exact correct size can be frustrating, letting in too much light and looking shabby.
—Lyssanoel Frater, jsonline.com, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Jake Ciely, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Many of us long for the days of the old South Beach, with its neighborhood bakeries, languid pace, shabby but genuine character, and the retired people who loved the place.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Don’t let the term ‘first flat’ fool you—Diana’s early digs were anything but shabby.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
Curtains that aren’t the exact correct size can be frustrating, letting in too much light and looking shabby.
—Lyssanoel Frater, jsonline.com, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shabby
Adjective
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My father in his gray Nehru jacket thumbing through Urdu poetry books in the library of a dilapidated but grand Mahmudabad palace, near his hometown of Lucknow.—
Divia Thani,
Condé Nast Traveler,
10 Mar. 2026
-
On Saturday, Aurora Fire Rescue held a grand opening ceremony for a new station that replaced an old dilapidated firehouse.—
Christa Swanson,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Elsewhere, Jenna Ortega’s tattered Christian Cowan slip dress featured a thigh-high slit that would make Jolie proud.—
Hannah Jackson,
Vogue,
2 Mar. 2026
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The green cornice crowning the roofline had begun to fade, while layers of black paint and tattered posters peeled from the building’s exterior.—
Jessica Alvarado Gamez,
Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
When first performed at L.A. Opera a decade ago, the lavish production, co-produced with English National Opera, helped recover a neglected opera.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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His refusal to weaponize suffering is one of his most important — and most neglected— lessons.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Though few natural-history buffs realize it, many of them have admired the handiwork of this unusual company, located in the ragged outskirts of Oklahoma City, for decades.—
Jeff Wilson,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
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Daniel Arnold—whose street work picks up from Garry Winogrand and Joel Meyerowitz, but with a ragged edge of comic mayhem—goes wild on one of the show’s large walls.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
6 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And today, free tuition could be the PR tonic California needs to brighten its faded image across America.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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There's the faded mural of Mount Lookout just below the ceiling.—
Keith Pandolfi,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shabby. Accessed 18 Mar. 2026.
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