First Known Use: 1669
Dictionary
shabby
adjective shab·by \ˈsha-bē\
: in poor condition especially because of age or use
: dressed in clothes that are old and worn
: not fair, generous, or reasonable
shab·bi·ershab·bi·est
Full Definition of SHABBY
1
: clothed with worn or seedy garments <a shabby hobo>
2
a : threadbare and faded from wear <a shabby sofa> b : ill-kept : dilapidated <a shabby neighborhood>
3
a : mean, despicable, contemptible <must feel shabby…because of his compromises — Nat Hentoff> b : ungenerous, unfair <laments the shabby way in which this country often treated a poet — Paul Engle> c : inferior in quality <shabby reasoning>
— shab·bi·ly \ˈsha-bə-lē\ adverb
— shab·bi·ness \ˈsha-bē-nəs\ noun
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Origin of SHABBY
obsolete English shab a low fellow
Related to SHABBY
- Synonyms
- beat-up, bombed-out, dilapidated, dog-eared, down-at-the-heels (or down-at-heel also down-at-the-heel or down-at-heels), dumpy, grungy, mangy, mean, miserable, moth-eaten, neglected, ratty, run-down, scrubby, scruffy, seedy, sleazy, tacky, tatterdemalion, tatty, threadbare, timeworn, tumbledown, gone to seed
SHABBY Defined for Kids
shabby
adjective shab·by \ˈsha-bē\
shab·bi·ershab·bi·est
Definition of SHABBY for Kids
1
: faded and worn from use or wear <shabby clothes>
2
: in poor condition : dilapidated <a shabby house>
3
: dressed in worn clothes
4
: not fair or generous <We received shabby treatment.>
— shab·bi·ly \ˈsha-bə-lē\ adverb <shabbily dressed>
— shab·bi·ness \ˈsha-bē-nəs\ noun
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