sloppy

adjective

slop·​py ˈslä-pē How to pronounce sloppy (audio)
sloppier; sloppiest
Synonyms of sloppy
1
a
: wet so as to spatter easily : slushy
a sloppy racetrack
b
: wet or smeared with or as if with something slopped over
2
: slovenly, careless
a sloppy dresser
did sloppy work
3
: disagreeably effusive
sloppy sentimentalism
sloppily
ˈslä-pə-lē How to pronounce sloppy (audio)
adverb
sloppiness noun

Synonyms of sloppy

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Examples of sloppy in a Sentence

Your work has been very sloppy lately. a sloppy child who always seems to have spilled something on his clothes
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.
Utah's most successful drive ended at the halftime break when Dillon Curtis missed a 34-yard field goalie to a sloppy snap-and-hold. — ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026 And the need to blend all the sound together right before the ear canal can make the more complex instrumentation sound more sloppy than precise. — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026 There were moments during the Heats’ season-opening 131-106 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves where the product looked sloppy, and the effort was lackluster. — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026 The YouTube stuff, by comparison, feels sloppy, in multiple senses of the word. — Josef Adalian, Vulture, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for sloppy

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sloppy was in 1672

Phrases Containing sloppy

Rhymes for sloppy

See All Rhymes for sloppy

Browse Nearby Words

sloppiness
sloppy
sloppy joe
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sloppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sloppy. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

sloppy

adjective
slop·​py ˈsläp-ē How to pronounce sloppy (audio)
sloppier; sloppiest
1
a
: wet so as to spatter easily : slushy
b
: wet with or as if with something slopped over
2
: slovenly, careless
a sloppy dresser
3
: overly sentimental
sloppily
ˈsläp-ə-lē How to pronounce sloppy (audio)
adverb
sloppiness
ˈsläp-ē-nəs
noun
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