1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
shabby wallpaper that was peeling from the walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
shabby, stained clothes that are barely better than rags
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shabby
From shabby to chic: Hotel Gellért in Budapest had become a run-down relic.
—
Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
Grab this shabby chic bedspread in green, grey or pink.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2025
His longtime caddie and childhood friend, Joe Greiner, ended their partnership amid the strain of shabby results.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 21 May 2025
His big number is a poignant song taken directly from the Eliot poem about that time in a cat’s life when paws begin to shake, the coat turns shabby and mice and rats no longer cower in fear.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 8 May 2025
Grab this shabby chic bedspread in green, grey or pink.
—Mariana Best, Better Homes & Gardens, 31 May 2025
His longtime caddie and childhood friend, Joe Greiner, ended their partnership amid the strain of shabby results.
—Brendan Quinn, New York Times, 21 May 2025
His big number is a poignant song taken directly from the Eliot poem about that time in a cat’s life when paws begin to shake, the coat turns shabby and mice and rats no longer cower in fear.
—Chris Jones, Chicago Tribune, 15 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shabby
Adjective
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In Los Angeles, $500,000 gets you a dilapidated hut in the hood with a permanent police siren soundtrack.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
30 May 2025
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Stay Here: The Spanish family behind Vestige Collection is on a mission to breathe life into the country’s crumbling landmarks and dilapidated palaces.—
Siobhan Reid,
Vogue,
28 May 2025
Adjective
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And then, in close-up, a bulldozer turns over rubble, and a family photograph is glimpsed in the debris, a tattered symbol of what has been lost.—
Catherine Bray,
Variety,
25 May 2025
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Its tattered and faded copy of the Magna Carta is worth millions of dollars, Carpenter estimated—though Harvard has no plans to sell it.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 May 2025
Adjective
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What’s a neglected part of your ME—your health, learning, or joy?—
Nell Derick Debevoise,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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But the area where these cuts will be felt most acutely is with respect to elder abuse, which is already a neglected area of health care and social services.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In the clip, the small dog scuttles into the room clutching his ragged bear, which has a hole that has caused its stuffing to spill out.—
Lydia Patrick,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 May 2025
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These others can boast a ragged caliphate, closets full of Che T-shirts, and an upcoming Mission: Impossible movie, respectively.—
Graeme Wood,
The Atlantic,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Select a faded flower and follow the stem down, cutting it 12 inches or more below the bloom, deep into the plant to encourage more long stems.—
Andy Wilcox,
Better Homes & Gardens,
10 June 2025
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Some geckos have higher contrast in their coloring, while others appear more faded.—
Aspen Pflughoeft,
Miami Herald,
4 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shabby. Accessed 20 Jun. 2025.
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