as in sentimentality
the state or quality of having an excess of tender feelings (as of love, nostalgia, or compassion)
the tearful sloppiness that you find in so many country-and-western songs
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Recent Examples of sloppiness
He has been criticised over sloppiness in previous games but was solid at the back and impressive with his passing to break Valencia’s lines.
—
Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Rather, most everyone on coach Dennis Gates’ active roster for the game had a hand in the sloppiness.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
But after entering the second quarter with a 26-8 lead, UConn’s offense abruptly devolved into sloppiness.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
At the other end, Brown was atoning for his early sloppiness by igniting the Celtics’ offense.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
Lee ignores them, and his self-serving need to fix things and soothe his own sense of injustice leads to sloppiness.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Players and coaches downplayed the difference between playing in the United States and England, despite the typically sloppiness of European games and the Jaguars’ familiarity with this routine with annual trips to the United Kingdom.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025
Even as the offense moved the ball downfield, there was more sloppiness from Buffalo, which had a false start on the drive and two declined penalties on the decisive third down.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 6 Oct. 2025
Mario Cortegana, New York Times, 9 Feb. 2026
Rather, most everyone on coach Dennis Gates’ active roster for the game had a hand in the sloppiness.
—The Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 7 Feb. 2026
But after entering the second quarter with a 26-8 lead, UConn’s offense abruptly devolved into sloppiness.
—Emily Adams, Hartford Courant, 16 Jan. 2026
At the other end, Brown was atoning for his early sloppiness by igniting the Celtics’ offense.
—Zack Cox, Boston Herald, 3 Dec. 2025
Lee ignores them, and his self-serving need to fix things and soothe his own sense of injustice leads to sloppiness.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
Players and coaches downplayed the difference between playing in the United States and England, despite the typically sloppiness of European games and the Jaguars’ familiarity with this routine with annual trips to the United Kingdom.
—Adam Grosbard, Oc Register, 18 Oct. 2025
Even as the offense moved the ball downfield, there was more sloppiness from Buffalo, which had a false start on the drive and two declined penalties on the decisive third down.
—Andrew Greif, NBC news, 6 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sloppiness
Noun
-
Buckley navigates the film in elemental sorrow without sentimentality, delivering what many consider the performance of the year, and undoubtedly her career so far.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
11 Feb. 2026
-
As expected, there was precisely zero sentimentality from Quick, who was the Conn Smythe winner during the Kings’ first Stanley Cup title run in 2012 and their starting goalie for their second in 2014 as well.—
Andrew Knoll,
Daily News,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
The Academy historically goes for sentimentalism.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
4 Oct. 2025
-
McBride is less interested in exploring another motivation for saving locks of hair: the particular sentimentalism that made people cherish the hair of loved ones, especially those who had died, or of honored forebears.—
Margaret Talbot,
New Yorker,
21 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sloppiness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sloppiness. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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