slovenly

[sluhv-uhn-lee, slov-] / ˈslʌv ən li, ˈslɒv- /

ADJECTIVE

dirty, disordered

Synonyms

WEAK

bedraggled botched careless dingy disheveled disorderly dowdy down-at-the-heel frowzy frumpy grody grubby grungy heedless icky loose messed-up messy mussy negligent pigpen raunchy seedy slack slapdash sleazy slipshod sloppy tacky topsy-turvy unfastidious unkempt unthorough untidy

Antonyms

WEAK

clean ordered organized

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.

Plus, as sleepwear styles become more fashionable, it’s hard to think of them as strictly for the slovenly set.

From MarketWatch • Feb. 26, 2026

In that instance, the public were given the chance to choose the overall winner, opting for the term describing "unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly or greedy" behaviour.

From Barron's • Dec. 1, 2025

He was a favorite punching bag of the mainstream media, a slovenly suburban Ahab doomed to fail.

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 17, 2025

Last year's Oxford word of the year was "goblin mode", another slang term describing "unapologetically self-indulgent, lazy, slovenly, or greedy" behaviour.

From BBC • Dec. 3, 2023

When driven with his mates to the new owners’ camp, Buck saw a slipshod and slovenly affair, tent half stretched, dishes unwashed, everything in disorder; also, he saw a woman.

From "The Call of the Wild" by Jack London

Vocabulary lists containing slovenly

Grade 10, List 1

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The Call of the Wild

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A Thousand Splendid Suns

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