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Definitions

shabby

[shab-ee] / ˈʃæb i /
ADJECTIVE
broken-down; in poor shape
Synonyms
STRONGEST
crummy decaying decrepit desolate dilapidated dingy pitiful ramshackle ratty rickety run down scruffy seedy shoddy squalid tacky tattered threadbare worn
WEAK
bare bedraggled decayed degenerated deteriorated deteriorating disfigured disreputable dog-eared faded frayed gone to seed mangy meager mean miserable moth-eaten neglected poor poverty-stricken ragged ruined ruinous scrubby sleazy slipshod tired worn-out worse for wear wretched
Antonyms
STRONGEST
clean fresh good happy healthy new nice stable unused
WEAK
honorable respectable
ADJECTIVE
despicable
Synonyms
STRONGEST
cheap shoddy
WEAK
beggarly contemptible despisable dirty disgraceful dishonorable disreputable ignoble ignominious inconsiderate inglorious low low-down mean mercenary miserly rotten scummy selfish shady shameful sordid sorry stingy thoughtless unkind unworthy
Antonyms
WEAK
good honorable nice respectable

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He is obsessed with popular media and showbiz and the shabby values they embody.

From Salon • Mar. 28, 2026

The fish-out-of-water comedy show followed the wealthy Rose family as they abruptly lose their money and mansion, and are forced to move into a shabby motel in a deadbeat town they bought as a joke.

From BBC • Jan. 30, 2026

Carey, meanwhile, has generated 692 million streams — not too shabby, of course, but still not measuring up to the Canadian crooner.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 24, 2025

The January ceremony brought in 9.3 million viewers — not Sunday Night Football numbers, but not shabby in this fragmented media landscape.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2025

The house was dark and shabby, and the greasy shoulders that had left their mark in Mr. Jaggers’s room seemed to have been shuffling up and down the staircase for years.

From "Great Expectations" by Charles Dickens

Vocabulary lists containing shabby

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