variants
also blowzy
as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person
a large, blowsy woman in frumpy clothes runs the diner
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of blowsy
Rows of blowsy moss-green cabbages, their thick veins silvered with spider webs, the edges of their tougher outer leaves nibbled by slugs and snails.
—
Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
In the final scene, the one female regular at the Royal, a blowsy barfly well played by Barbara Lowing, is moving toward the bar as Hanna and Liv move decisively in the other direction.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2023
The queen of Playland was Laughing Sal, a tall, blowsy figure of fun, with a maniacal laugh.
—Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Mar. 2018
Literary Hub, 15 Aug. 2025
In the final scene, the one female regular at the Royal, a blowsy barfly well played by Barbara Lowing, is moving toward the bar as Hanna and Liv move decisively in the other direction.
—Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2023
The queen of Playland was Laughing Sal, a tall, blowsy figure of fun, with a maniacal laugh.
—Carl Nolte, San Francisco Chronicle, 23 Mar. 2018
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blowsy
Adjective
-
This team is inconsistent, sloppy and soft.—
Mike Bianchi,
The Orlando Sentinel,
2 Apr. 2026
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Just six of those came in the second half and the Bruins took better care of the ball while running their offense more efficiently, but sloppy play and frustration have flared up despite the Bruins’ veteran leadership.—
Marisa Ingemi,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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This shaggy short bob is so stylish with the addition of razored curtain bangs.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
30 Mar. 2026
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Using a fork, gradually draw the flour into the liquid until a shaggy dough begins to form.—
Monti Carlo,
AJC.com,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And this is where the movie takes off from retro mythology to become its own slovenly mod thing.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
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To Washington, a beard made a man look unkempt and slovenly, masking the higher emotions that civility required.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
On Ocean Drive where the Art Deco hotels still have spectacular ocean views but have mostly small, unkempt rooms.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Feb. 2026
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Mitski is the writer of these songs, but the speaker is someone else, a reclusive woman who resides in an unkempt house.—
Hanif Abdurraqib,
New Yorker,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The expansion of the humanitarian system was untidy and asymmetric, driven by the organizational self-interest of the bigger international NGOs and UN agencies involved in crisis response and their desire for greater market share.—
Time,
Time,
26 Feb. 2026
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An early version of the best dessert in the house was a great-tasting but untidy wet block of orange cake the size of a solitaire deck with a ping-pong scoop of chocolate ice cream.—
Mike Sutter,
San Antonio Express-News,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Memorably dowdy fashion notwithstanding, the juicy role — part Nurse Ratched, part Jack Torrance — launched Bates into the Hollywood ether following years of false starts.—
Darren Franich,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 Mar. 2026
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RoseMarie Terenzio, John’s hip and competent assistant, returns for a brief cameo, looking even more dowdy and ridiculous.—
Lisa DePaulo,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The fact that the President is now signalling a messy retreat has nothing to do with insufficient lethality and everything to do with politics—in particular, the alarm in the global oil markets and the American public’s widespread opposition to the war.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
3 Apr. 2026
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Over beats as blunt, chromatic, and gleefully stupid as a Jeff Koons sculpture, the singer has vied to make hyperpop more garish and alarming by being hornier, messier, and more extreme than her peers.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blowsy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blowsy. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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