as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person
for the sake of their image, the band members transformed themselves from clean-cut lads to slovenly rockers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sloppily
in a careless or unfashionable manner
an employee who went overboard on dress-down day and was reprimanded for dressing slovenly on the job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of slovenly
Frank Fellone, Arkansas Online, 2 May 2025
Slough House is headed by the slovenly, flatulent, and frequently intoxicated Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who routinely heaps verbal abuse on his staff but is nonetheless a brilliant spymaster in his own smelly way.
—Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slovenly
Adjective
Disappointed Steve Dear Steve: The real disappointment comes from slovenly people who throw trash onto our highways, or fail to properly secure their cargo.
—Frank Fellone, Arkansas Online, 2 May 2025
Slough House is headed by the slovenly, flatulent, and frequently intoxicated Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who routinely heaps verbal abuse on his staff but is nonetheless a brilliant spymaster in his own smelly way.
—Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
Adverb
It’s cropped with puffy sleeves that land at or above the wrist instead of hanging slovenly over your hands.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slovenly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slovenly
Adjective
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The watery consommé subsumed what few masa dumplings swam their lonesome swirls in the bowl, with cobs of corn left like derelict buoys in the sloppy orange miasma.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
22 Apr. 2026
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Every league has flaws, but the NBA stands out for how often blowouts, injuries, and sloppy play dominate the product.—
Bobby Burack OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
20 Apr. 2026
Adverb
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The Giants became the first National League team to seven losses, and although 10 games is not a representative sample, there’s never a good time in a season for a team’s most reliable veterans to play sloppily or make decisions on tilt.—
Andrew Baggarly,
New York Times,
6 Apr. 2026
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Miss Manners is at least relieved that your family’s transgressions are limited to eating sloppily, which doesn’t harm others.—
Judith Martin,
Mercury News,
23 Feb. 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
Adverb
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Wedgewood also plays a little chaotically.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
9 Apr. 2026
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Some major airports across the country in Houston, Austin, New Orleans and more have seen chaotically long security lines in the wake of the shutdown, which coincided with a busy spring break travel period.—
Dallas Morning News,
Dallas Morning News,
23 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Later, other stars like Stevie Nicks, David Cassidy, and Mick Jagger mimicked the look in a more choppy, shaggy way with bangs, layers, and tons of texture—instead of the sleekness of the original look.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
15 Apr. 2026
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During a Tuesday, April 7 appearance on Theo Von's This Past Weekend podcast, the 26-year-old country star spoke about her classic look, featuring shaggy, curly brown bangs.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
PEOPLE,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Clothes that don’t fit well tend to lose their shape, making the rest of your outfit feel unkempt by midday.—
Gabrielle Porcaro,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2026
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Over time, the unoccupied and unkempt property — from deteriorating exteriors to overgrown yards — can create issues within the existing community.—
Stacy Lambe,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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The expansion of the humanitarian system was untidy and asymmetric, driven by the organizational self-interest of the bigger international NGOs and UN agencies involved in crisis response and their desire for greater market share.—
Time,
Time,
26 Feb. 2026
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An early version of the best dessert in the house was a great-tasting but untidy wet block of orange cake the size of a solitaire deck with a ping-pong scoop of chocolate ice cream.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The internet’s onetime lovably messy provocateur has indeed turned over a new leaf, personally and professionally, and entered her Brand Safe era.—
Chris Gardner,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Apr. 2026
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But the move comes at a particularly messy time in Puig’s life.—
Amber Harding OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slovenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slovenly. Accessed 24 Apr. 2026.
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