shabbier; shabbiest
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
Nat Hentoff
b
: ungenerous, unfair
laments the shabby way in which this country often treated a poet—Paul Engle
Paul Engle
c
: inferior in quality
shabby reasoning
Examples of shabby in a Sentence
The furniture was old and shabby.
He wore a shabby coat.
Her first apartment was pretty shabby.
They complained about the shabby treatment they received at the hotel.
Backing out of the deal was a shabby thing to do.
Recent Examples on the Web
In South Beach’s tranquil Palm View neighborhood, a once-stylish house gone shabby offers a case study in a complicated conflict facing many South Florida communities threatened by rising seas, tides and storm surge.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 25 July 2025
The director Dustin Wills has co-designed a surreal set, full of shabby, sentimental sweetness, with the designer Kate Noll.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Not too shabby for a 23-year-old who was pitching in just his sixth game in the majors.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2025
Blacksmithing Is Having a Moment: The combination of adorable animals, good-looking men (and women) and the satisfaction of watching a shabby hoof get scraped and hammered has emerged as must-scroll viewing for millions of people.
—New York Times, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shabby
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.
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 25 July 2025
The director Dustin Wills has co-designed a surreal set, full of shabby, sentimental sweetness, with the designer Kate Noll.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 25 July 2025
Not too shabby for a 23-year-old who was pitching in just his sixth game in the majors.
—Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 16 July 2025
Blacksmithing Is Having a Moment: The combination of adorable animals, good-looking men (and women) and the satisfaction of watching a shabby hoof get scraped and hammered has emerged as must-scroll viewing for millions of people.
—New York Times, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Cite this Entry
“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shabby. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shabby
adjective
shab·by
ˈshab-ē 
shabbier; shabbiest
1
: dressed in worn clothes
2
a
: worn and faded from wear
a shabby sofa
b
: ill kept : dilapidated
shabby houses
3
: not fair or generous
shabby treatment
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share