adjective B2 Upper-Intermediate Uncommon

shabby

SHA-bee

Shabby (adjective) means Worn out or in poor condition from age or neglect. Example: “The hotel lobby looked shabby, with peeling paint and stained carpets.”

adjective

Worn out or in poor condition from age or neglect.

"The hotel lobby looked shabby, with peeling paint and stained carpets."

"He wore a shabby old coat that had seen better days."

Unfair, mean, or ungenerous in behavior.

"It was a shabby way to treat someone who had worked for the company for decades."

How to use shabby

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishWorn-out and neglected-looking, or (of behavior) mean-spirited and unfair.

Common pairings

shabby clothes shabby treatment shabby chic

Word forms

shabbier comparative, shabbied past tense, shabbies singular, shabbiest superlative

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The hotel lobby looked _____, with peeling paint and stained carpets.

Etymology

From the old word shab, meaning a skin disease or scabby crust, plus the suffix -y.

Rhymes for shabby

Abby tabby Gabby crabby flabby scabby grabby

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Frequently asked questions

What does “shabby” mean?

The word “shabby” means worn out or in poor condition from age or neglect. In plain terms, worn-out and neglected-looking, or (of behavior) mean-spirited and unfair.

How do you pronounce “shabby”?

“Shabby” is pronounced SHA-bee (/ˈʃæbi/ in IPA).

How do you use “shabby” in a sentence?

Here is “shabby” used in a sentence: “The hotel lobby looked shabby, with peeling paint and stained carpets.”

What part of speech is “shabby”?

“Shabby” is an adjective.

Is “shabby” a common word?

“Shabby” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.

How many meanings does “shabby” have?

“Shabby” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: worn out or in poor condition from age or neglect.