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
Relevance
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 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
-
Winning like a Feeney Due to some sloppy defensive errors from the silver-haired infield, the Feeneys allowed more runs in the top of the seventh.
-
The Walpole, Massachusetts native, making his second career start at Fenway Park in front of family and friends, surrendered a two-run, go-ahead homer to ex-Yankees prospect Caleb Durbin in the fifth inning of what was a sloppy, 6-3, loss for the Bombers.
Adverb
-
After one match against Wolverhampton Wanderers in December 2021, when City had won 1-0 but had played sloppily in the final minutes, Guardiola bellowed at the subs and youth teamers who had not actually contributed.
-
Miss Manners is at least relieved that your family’s transgressions are limited to eating sloppily, which doesn’t harm others.
Adjective
-
Participants with wet but non-wrinkled fingers required significantly more force to maintain the same hold; their hands were working harder to do less.
-
Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.
Adverb
-
Not in the pejorative, party girl sense, but in a cool, chaotically chic way.
-
Of course, there’s a delicate balance between making quick decisions and playing chaotically.
Adjective
-
When Jon Brion would perform at Largo in Los Angeles, the enthrallment of his show entailed watching the shaggy-haired guy play myriad instruments, sampling and looping them into a climactic song.
-
That charming and shaggy approach is fitting for such a campy and irreverent comedy, ultimately substituting polish for an equal mixture of artistic grit and careless joy.
Adjective
-
Dense planting doesn't have to look wild or unkempt, West notes.
-
The back yard, casually unkempt and shaded by tall trees, exudes natural splendor.
Adjective
-
In the living room, a pilot rearranges an untidy study desk.
-
Worn or half-empty cereal boxes and chip bags disrupt the visual flow of open shelving and look untidy.
Adjective
-
Interviews for the statewide candidates are done now via questions from the entire convention, a potentially messier proposition.
-
More vehicles on the road means more potential for complex, multi-vehicle collisions and messier disputes over who caused what.
Cite this Entry
“Slovenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slovenly. Accessed 26 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
