as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person
for the sake of their image, the band members transformed themselves from clean-cut lads to slovenly rockers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sloppily
in a careless or unfashionable manner
an employee who went overboard on dress-down day and was reprimanded for dressing slovenly on the job
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of slovenly
Frank Fellone, Arkansas Online, 2 May 2025
Slough House is headed by the slovenly, flatulent, and frequently intoxicated Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who routinely heaps verbal abuse on his staff but is nonetheless a brilliant spymaster in his own smelly way.
—Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slovenly
Adjective
Disappointed Steve Dear Steve: The real disappointment comes from slovenly people who throw trash onto our highways, or fail to properly secure their cargo.
—Frank Fellone, Arkansas Online, 2 May 2025
Slough House is headed by the slovenly, flatulent, and frequently intoxicated Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who routinely heaps verbal abuse on his staff but is nonetheless a brilliant spymaster in his own smelly way.
—Ars Technica, 24 Dec. 2024
Adverb
It’s cropped with puffy sleeves that land at or above the wrist instead of hanging slovenly over your hands.
—Olivia Young, Travel + Leisure, 17 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for slovenly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slovenly
Adjective
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At times, Epstein characterized the billionaire’s office as sloppy and amateurish, exposing him to taxes and reputational risks while making sensitive payments.—
Tom Schoenberg,
Fortune,
5 Feb. 2026
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The Heat also ran into its own sloppy play, committing 19 turnovers.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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This time, Attorney General Pam Bondi has gone along with efforts to prosecute former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James—but the department handled the cases so sloppily that a district court has already thrown them out.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
20 Jan. 2026
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The Knicks were down one at that point, sloppily holding their own in a game Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart each missed due to right ankle ailments.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
18 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adverb
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Directed and steered by Alex Timbers, with Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg among its executive producers, The Muppet Show keeps things chaotically simple.—
Daniel Fienberg,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Feb. 2026
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The downstairs staffs of the richest and noblest families start to shuffle around so chaotically that even Lady Whistledown takes notice of in her column.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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No one understands or exploits that shaggy zone quite like Bannon.—
Josh Tyrangiel,
The Atlantic,
10 Feb. 2026
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Instead of head-to-toe fur, designers and showgoers alike favored coats finished with shearling collars or shaggy trim, details that feel easier, lighter, and more wearable.—
Daisy Maldonado,
InStyle,
10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Tidy outdoor areas where insects and pests tend to hide, such as wood piles, leaf piles, overgrowth, or unkempt landscaping.—
Jamie Cuccinelli,
Martha Stewart,
30 Jan. 2026
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Helen gets defensive when those around her express concern about her behavior and her unkempt conditions.—
Randy Myers,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Trusting our usual virtual background on Teams to mask an untidy living room or kitchen table from colleagues.—
Zak Doffman,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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Inspired by the cognitive dissonance that Joan Didion experienced in Miami, Nick León creates a refreshingly untidy tapestry of the city’s dance music on A Tropical Entropy.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
2 Dec. 2025
Adjective
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In this case, that ball happens to be the complex that serves as the symbolic seat of the nation’s vibrant, messy, questioning, deeply political and hugely alive arts and culture scene.—
Jessica Gelt,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
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Scuffs and chips will show up quickly, requiring frequent touch-ups that can end up creating messy layers.—
Asia London Palomba,
The Spruce,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Slovenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slovenly. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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