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
1
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."
2
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 notesIn plain EnglishWorn-out and neglected-looking, or (of behavior) mean-spirited and unfair.
Common pairings
shabby clothes
shabby treatment
shabby chic
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Word forms
- Third person singular
- shabbies
- Past tense
- shabbied
- Comparative
- shabbier
- Superlative
- shabbiest
Fill the gap
Can you complete this real example?
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.
Synonyms
View more →Antonyms
Related words
Rhymes for shabby
See all rhymes for shabby →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.
