shabby

adjective

ˈsha-bē How to pronounce shabby (audio)
Definition of shabbynext
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of shabby 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 Gardeners occasionally have trouble with boxwood foliage turning brown—making this otherwise beautiful shrub look a little shabby and worn. — Samantha Johnson, Martha Stewart, 5 Aug. 2026 Willian, another player listed in the disciplinary charges, wasn’t too shabby, either. — Daniel Taylor, New York Times, 1 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shabby
  1. dilapidated
  2. tattered
  3. neglected
  4. ragged
  5. faded
Adjective
  • Protests by high school students angry about dilapidated, understaffed schools have roiled France since mid-September.
    — JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • High schoolers are expressing broad grievances over schools that are under-resourced, with dilapidated facilities and insufficient staff, notably in lower-income neighborhoods.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • In her translation, where papyri were tattered or a word obscured, Carson indicates this by using brackets and white space.
    — Amy Cannon, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
  • For Brashares, letting go of her kids’ and husband’s old clothes always felt a little like throwing away more than tattered items.
    — Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of tattered
Adjective
  • Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of neglected
Adjective
  • The girl’s nails were ragged from biting, and Zhanna struggled to balance her daughter’s grief alongside her own.
    — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Until the late 1970s, when the Sandinistas were still a ragged, left-wing guerrilla movement, the United States provided guns, money and military training to the right-wing political dynasty that ruled Nicaragua with an iron fist.
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of ragged
Adjective
  • The interior swims in faded blues, mint greens and powdery neutrals with neoclassical moldings, offset by black lacquer, frosted glass, mosaics and polished metal.
    — Rhonda Richford, Footwear News, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The rooms Wonderfully classic, with swagged four-posters in the largest ones, a hefty whack of chintz and faded florals, pleated silk lampshades and open fireplaces.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of faded

Browse Nearby Words

shabbily
shabby
shack
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Cite this Entry

“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shabby. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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