mangy

adjective

ˈmān-jē How to pronounce mangy (audio)
mangier; mangiest
Synonyms of mangynext
1
: affected with or resulting from mange
2
a
: having many worn or bare spots
a mangy rug
b
: seedy, shabby
a mangy office
manginess
ˈmān-jē-nəs How to pronounce mangy (audio)
noun

Synonyms of mangy

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Examples of mangy in a Sentence

a mangy old car that was covered in rust
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Davis was more or less rocking his signature look — a red Adidas tracksuit, hair in mangy dreads. — Ed Masley, The Arizona Republic, 4 Oct. 2024 To write, especially in a first draft, is to submit myself to the mangy, cackling glory of not knowing. — Literary Hub, 17 Apr. 2026 Too mangy, too rangy, prowling in their bony elegance, leaping weightless from dangerously precarious mounds of sharp edges, peering yellow- eyed from shadows. — Danielle Parker, CBS News, 21 May 2026 His Orlok is more feral and red-blooded than previous iterations, appearing swathed in ursine furs and accompanied by mangy curs. — Celia Mattison, Vulture, 27 Dec. 2024 That also includes Leonard, a dapper old parrot who lives in the clinic, and Bitchy, a mangy, rangy alley cat who recently wandered into the office and took up residence. — Duante Beddingfield, Freep.com, 30 July 2025 Talking Heads played their first gig in June, 1975, opening for the Ramones at CBGB, a rock club on a mangy block in the East Village. — Amanda Petrusich, New Yorker, 10 Nov. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of mangy was in the 15th century

Rhymes for mangy

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Browse Nearby Words

mangwe
mangy
Mangyan
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Cite this Entry

“Mangy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mangy. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

mangy

adjective
ˈmān-jē How to pronounce mangy (audio)
mangier; mangiest
1
: affected with or resulting from mange
2
: shabby sense 1, seedy
a mangy old rug
manginess
ˈmān-jē-nəs
noun

Medical Definition

mangy

adjective
man·​gy ˈmān-jē How to pronounce mangy (audio)
mangier; mangiest
1
: infected with mange
a mangy dog
2
: relating to, characteristic of, or resulting from mange
a mangy appearance
a mangy itch

More from Merriam-Webster on mangy

Nglish: Translation of mangy for Spanish Speakers

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