1
as in messy
lacking neatness in dress or person
a sloppy child who always seems to have spilled something on his clothes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
dumped the papers in a sloppy pile on the desk
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
a cinematic romance with a sloppy musical score that will have audiences reaching for their handkerchiefs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sloppy
The Republican supermajority is reluctant to stop an unlimited cash flow to an ever-expanding school voucher program that bleeds billions from public schools, despite ample proof of sloppy bookkeeping and zero proof that voucher students’ needs are adequately met.
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Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
While the offense is largely to blame for the losses this week, there has been some sloppy play and mistakes made as well.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Nico Hoerner hit a leadoff homer and then delivered an RBI double during a five-run fifth inning as the Chicago Cubs beat the sloppy Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.
—CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Still, plushy, squelchy chairs don’t have to look sloppy either.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sloppy
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 11 Apr. 2026
While the offense is largely to blame for the losses this week, there has been some sloppy play and mistakes made as well.
—Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 11 Apr. 2026
Nico Hoerner hit a leadoff homer and then delivered an RBI double during a five-run fifth inning as the Chicago Cubs beat the sloppy Tampa Bay Rays 6-2 on Wednesday night at Tropicana Field.
—CBS News, 9 Apr. 2026
Still, plushy, squelchy chairs don’t have to look sloppy either.
—Kate McGregor, Architectural Digest, 9 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for sloppy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sloppy
Adjective
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Wheatley isn’t a sudden-twitch mover and the tackling can get messy, but the size, awareness and ability to play deep, in the slot or around the box should keep him in the Day 2 conversation.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Apr. 2026
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A lot of the case seemed to come down to disorganization and messy paperwork.—
Emma Green,
New Yorker,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Set in 1953 after the titular dictator’s passing, the film revels in the chaotic, messy, bumbling power struggle that ensues among figures like Nikita Khrushchev (Steve Buscemi) and Georgy Malenkov (Jeffrey Tambor).—
Debby Wolfinsohn,
Entertainment Weekly,
13 Apr. 2026
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The venue was the sprawling Serena Hotel, an oasis within what is already a bubble provided by Islamabad, a leafy city of broad boulevards that feels detached from the rest of Pakistan, an often chaotic country of 240 million people.—
Saeed Shah,
Time,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Welsh has a distinct desire to stay away from sappy and sentimental, too tidy for such a messy story.—
Courtney Crowder,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
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In April, don’t miss the rollout of Mother’s Day cards, from funny and quirky to sweet and sentimental.—
Abigail Wilt,
Southern Living,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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And this is where the movie takes off from retro mythology to become its own slovenly mod thing.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
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To Washington, a beard made a man look unkempt and slovenly, masking the higher emotions that civility required.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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For obvious reasons, the name (and how to pronounce it) immediately confused fans of the couple.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
11 Apr. 2026
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However, his revelations added additional layers of complications rather than actually pointing towards who was responsible for Floyd's death, leaving detectives Donoghue Homer (Richard Jenkins) and Jodie Plumb (Joy Sunday) even more confused.—
Saman Shafiq,
USA Today,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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As the smell intensified, Lina crossed to the front door of her apartment, undid the lock, and yanked the sticky door open.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Keep an eye out for popcorn flowers, yarrow, goldfields, mustard and sticky monkey-flowers.—
Alissa Greenberg,
Mercury News,
13 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Kilitch Healthcare had serious quality lapses, in which the facility was filthy, employees were barefoot on the manufacturing floor and the company fraudulently passed products that failed sterility tests.—
C. Michael White,
CNN Money,
15 Apr. 2026
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The movie doesn’t make this plot very clear, and is more concerned with the texture of this filthy world.—
James Folta,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sloppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sloppy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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