shabby

adjective

ˈsha-bē How to pronounce shabby (audio)
Definition of shabbynext
1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect shabby wallpaper that was peeling from the walls

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags shabby, stained clothes that are barely better than rags

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 shabby The first hull in Azimut’s Grande 44M range is, contrary to what the name suggests, actually not too shabby. — Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 15 Sep. 2026 Not too shabby for a series that premiered to mixed reviews and was canceled after just three seasons. — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026 But returning home after some time with Ye-ji and Sang-woo, their place suddenly looks shabby and cheap. — Jessica Kiang, Variety, 6 Sep. 2026 Not too shabby—and the Transparency mode also sounded quite natural! — Kelsey Fogarty, PC Magazine, 19 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shabby
  1. dilapidated
  2. tattered
  3. neglected
  4. ragged
  5. faded
Adjective
  • Protests by high school students angry about dilapidated, understaffed schools have roiled France since mid-September.
    — JOHN LEICESTER, Arkansas Online, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The protests have been building since late September, sparked by complaints of staff shortages and dilapidated schools.
    — Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of dilapidated
Adjective
  • Victoria Justice dressed up for her Halloween party in a distressed zombie look featuring a tattered black minidress and edgy boots.
    — Jaden Thompson, Footwear News, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In her translation, where papyri were tattered or a word obscured, Carson indicates this by using brackets and white space.
    — Amy Cannon, The Conversation, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of tattered
Adjective
  • Investors and analysts are increasingly looking to other parts of the market, both to find neglected sources of value and to start assuming a defensive posture against a possible downturn.
    — Tobias Burns, CNBC, 16 July 2026
  • Changing their environment is more reliable and more neglected.
    — Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Definition of neglected
Adjective
  • On his second lap at Monza, Antonelli went past the ragged edge.
    — Sam Knight, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026
  • While a commercial transatlantic flight would have left me feeling tired and ragged, my body barely registered the six-hour journey.
    — Debra Kamin, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of ragged
Adjective
  • 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
  • The landscape flowed in ridges and mountains of faded yellow and whisper pink, where welwitschia–large, low-lying plants that live to be hundreds of years old–sprawled like relics from a Dune film set.
    — Samantha Falewée, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of faded

Browse Nearby Words

shabbily
shabby
shack
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Cite this Entry

“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shabby. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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