What does "shoddy" mean?
A low-grade cloth made from by-products of wool processing, or from recycled wool.
Shoddy
/ˈʃɑ.di/ adj, noun, slang
adj, noun, slang ·Very common ·Middle school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A low-grade cloth made from by-products of wool processing, or from recycled wool.
- Grammar: shoddy is listed as adj, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: abject, abominable, affected, apocryphal.
- Useful contrasts: beautiful, accurate, artistic works.
- Usage evidence: His book is riddled with shoddy research.
How to use "shoddy"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shoddy" 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 "shoddy" 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 "shoddy" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shoddy" 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 "shoddy" is acting as adj, noun, 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 "abject" 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 "shoddy", 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
Noun
- 1 A low-grade cloth made from by-products of wool processing, or from recycled wool. countable, uncountable
"Formerly, shoddy cloth was “used only for padding, and such like purposes, but now blankets, flushings, druggets, carpets, and table covers, cloth for pilot and Petersham great” coats, &c., are either wholly or partly made of shoddy, which, in fact, is “occasionally worn by everybody. The beautiful woollen table covers are made wholly of shoddy, being printed by aqua-fortis from designs drawn in London and Manchester, and cut on holly and other blocks, on the spot.”"
- 2 reclaimed wool fiber wordnet
- 3 Worthless goods. countable, dated, uncountable
- 4 Vulgar pretence or sham. colloquial, countable, dated, uncountable
Adjective
- 1 Of poor quality or construction.
"Do not settle for shoddy knives if you are serious about cooking."
- 2 Pretentious, sham, counterfeit. dated
- 3 Ambitious by reason of newly-acquired wealth; nouveau riche. dated
Adjective
- 1 unethical or dishonest wordnet
- 2 made of inferior workmanship and materials wordnet
Example
"His book is riddled with shoddy research."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shoddy"?
Common synonyms include: abject, abominable, affected, apocryphal, arrant, artificial.
How do you use "shoddy" in a sentence?
His book is riddled with shoddy research.
How do you pronounce "shoddy"?
Pronounced /ˈʃɑ.di/.
Etymology
* Unknown, but possibly from shoad (“loose stone and rubble; fragments”), equivalent to shoad + -y; or possibly from the Arabic word for reuse. Shoad was of inferior quality for building. * The modern adjectival sense was apparently derived from inexpensive shoddy (“fabric from wool-processing byproduct”), which was not really suitable for (but was sometimes still used for) things such as military uniforms at the beginning of the US Civil War.