scruffy

adjective

ˈskrə-fē How to pronounce scruffy (audio)
scruffier; scruffiest
Synonyms of scruffynext
: unkempt, slovenly, shaggy
a scruffy neighborhood
a scruffy beard
scruffily
ˈskrə-fə-lē How to pronounce scruffy (audio)
adverb
scruffiness
ˈskrə-fē-nəs How to pronounce scruffy (audio)
noun

Synonyms of scruffy

Relevance
See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of scruffy in a Sentence

The neighborhood is full of dilapidated houses with scruffy backyards. dressed in scruffy old clothes to clean out the garage
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Investigators described him as a white male in his late 50s, with a scruffy, gray beard who was wearing a faded blue baseball cap. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 22 Oct. 2026 There’s the upmarket tourist couple and the equally the scruffy backpacker set. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Oct. 2026 Pre-distressed holes reveal different swatches underneath, and the soles come looking scruffy just like on numerous hits from Vans over the past year or so. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026 That scruffier, cozier version of androgyny coexisted in the culture with the more flamboyant gender-bending of glam rock. — Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scruffy

Word History

Etymology

scruff, metathetic variant of scurf (also with senses "something worthless or contemptible, contemptible person") + -y entry 1

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scruffy was in 1871

Rhymes for scruffy

See All Rhymes for scruffy

Browse Nearby Words

scruffman
scruffy
scrum
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Scruffy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scruffy. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

scruffy

adjective
ˈskrəf-ē How to pronounce scruffy (audio)
scruffier; scruffiest
: dirty or shabby in appearance
a scruffy beard
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All