SLOVENLY Synonyms: 106 Similar and Opposite Words

slovenly 1 of 2

adjective

ˈslə-vən-lē

Definition of slovenly

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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

slovenly

2 of 2

adverb

ˈslə-vən-lē

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

Adjective

The other near certainty in Lead Actor should be Gary Oldman, who anchors Slow Horses with a slovenly charisma that is, against all odds, deeply watchable. — Joe Reid, Vulture, 24 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

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, 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

Definition of sloppy

Adverb

The last episode ended with Heather sloppily approaching Lisa while Lisa’s Ultimate Girls Trip buddies hovered on the sidelines, ready to defend their new friend.

— Ile-Ife Okantah, Vulture, 7 Sep. 2026
Family members of patients noticed the nurse sloppily taking out IV needles but were afraid to confront her.

— Alexandra Byrne, STAT, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of sloppily

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.

— Scott Travers, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.

— Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 8 Feb. 2026

Definition of wrinkled

Adverb

Over time, the tags fall off or attach chaotically, meaning tags are inconsistent between cells and genes start turning on unpredictably.

— Jacek Krywko, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2026
Sometimes, an object moving chaotically can become trapped into following a fractal-like path forever.

— Shalma Wegsman, Quanta Magazine, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of chaotically

Adjective

A bit later, a shaggy-haired knight would win the final competition, beat his chest, and throw a triumphant fist in the air as his section screamed for him.

— Alessandra Schade, Vanity Fair, 28 Oct. 2026
Barring some sort of unforeseen cataclysm, Inevitability has reared its great, shaggy head.

— Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 27 Oct. 2026

Definition of shaggy

Adjective

The drunken Ken spends his time on such things as warbling a karaoke version of a 4 Non Blondes song while an unkempt Ryu is a purveyor of ramen so bad even a stray cat won’t eat it.

— Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 15 Oct. 2026
Wendy Louis, 40, was arrested Tuesday after deputies conducted a welfare check on his home on Northeast 175th Street and found his children extremely thin and with unkempt, matted hair, the sheriff’s office said.

— David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of unkempt

Adjective

At some point, your device will need to be charged, but the one thing that can quickly make a space look untidy is messy cable management.

— BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 27 Oct. 2026
Pakistan was untidy in the field too with Sharma getting dropped twice and he should have been run-out before completing his half-century, while captain Shreyas Iyer also got a life when Ayub missed out his second catch.

— ABC News, ABC News, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of untidy

Adjective

Emmet Fraizer investigates the uncertain future (and messy recent past) of the beloved science publication.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 23 Oct. 2026
The request was the latest salvo in the messy war where Ghost is suing Wilson for defamation, and Wilson is pursuing counterclaims against the producers for alleged bullying, intimidation, and breach of contract.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of messy

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“Slovenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slovenly. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of slovenly

adjective

adverb

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