What does "shabby" mean?
To make (something) shabby (adjective adjective sense 1); to shabbify.
Shabby
/ˈʃæbi/ adj, verb, slang
adj, verb, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To make (something) shabby (adjective adjective sense 1); to shabbify.
- Grammar: shabby is listed as adj, verb, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: tatty, abandoned, abject, abominable.
- Useful contrasts: sharp, classy, dapperest.
- Usage evidence: Apparently that shabby flat is vacant.
How to use "shabby"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shabby" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "shabby" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "shabby" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shabby" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "shabby" is acting as adj, verb, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "tatty" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "shabby", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To make (something) shabby (adjective adjective sense 1); to shabbify. transitive
- 2 To become shabby; to shabbify. intransitive
"You'll be one of those tough, square, solid middle-aged men, like a shabbying brown bear, your golden crew-cut greying judiciously at the temples."
Adjective
- 1 Of clothing, a place, etc.: unkempt and worn or otherwise in poor condition due to age or neglect; scruffy.
"They lived in a tiny apartment, with some old, shabby furniture."
- 2 Of a person: wearing ragged or very worn, and often dirty, clothing.
"The fellow arrived looking rather shabby after journeying so far."
- 3 Of a person, their behaviour, etc.: despicable, mean; also, not generous; stingy, tight-fisted. figuratively
"shabby treatment"
- 4 Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent. figuratively
"His painting is not too shabby."
- 5 Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.; Of the pulse: thready, weak. archaic, figuratively
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.; Of weather: wet and dreary. UK, dialectal, figuratively, informal
- 7 Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.; Chiefly of sheep: affected by shab or scab (“a skin disease”); scabby. UK, dialectal, figuratively
Adjective
- 1 mean and unworthy and despicable wordnet
- 2 showing signs of wear and tear wordnet
Example
"Apparently that shabby flat is vacant."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shabby"?
Common synonyms include: tatty, abandoned, abject, abominable, arrant, atrocious.
How do you use "shabby" in a sentence?
Apparently that shabby flat is vacant.
How do you pronounce "shabby"?
Pronounced /ˈʃæbi/.
Etymology
The adjective is derived from shab (“(obsolete except UK, dialectal) scaly skin disease; skin disease of sheep; crust forming over wound, scab”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives). The verb is derived from the adjective. Cognates * Dutch schabbig (“poor, needy, shabby”) * Middle High German schebic (modern German schäbig (“shabby”)) * Middle Low German schabbich (“miserable”) (modern Low German schabbig, schäbbig) * Scots shabby (“in poor health, ill”) * Swedish sjabbig (“shabby, mangy, scruffy”), skabbig (“scabby”)