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Shabby synonyms

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tacky
Dowdy or shabby, as in dress or appearance
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  1. Dowdy or shabby, as in dress or appearance
  2. Dowdy, shabbily dressed
  3. Lacking style or good taste; tawdry:
ragged
Dressed in tattered or threadbare clothes:
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  1. Dressed in tattered or threadbare clothes:
  2. Rent or worn into tatters, or till the texture is broken.
  3. Shabby or torn from wear; tattered
threadbare
Overused to the point of being worn out; hackneyed:
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  1. Overused to the point of being worn out; hackneyed:
  2. (Of a person) wearing clothes of threadbare material
  3. Worn down so that the threads show; having the nap or surface fibers worn off
dilapidated
Having fallen into a state of disrepair or deterioration, especially through neglect
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  1. Having fallen into a state of disrepair or deterioration, especially through neglect
  2. Falling to pieces or into disrepair; broken down; shabby and neglected
run down
Fallen into disrepair; dilapidated
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  1. Fallen into disrepair; dilapidated
  2. Not wound and therefore not running, as a spring-operated clock
  3. In poor physical condition, as from overwork; debilitated
broken-down
Sick or worn out, as by old age or disease
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  1. Sick or worn out, as by old age or disease
  2. Not properly maintained; neglected
  3. No longer in working order
poor
Undernourished; lean. Used especially of animals.
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  1. Undernourished; lean. Used especially of animals.
  2. Eliciting or deserving pity; pitiable:
  3. Not adequate in quality or quantity; inferior:
pitiful
Very small (of an amount or number).
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  1. Very small (of an amount or number).
  2. (Now rare) Feeling pity; merciful.
  3. So appalling or sad that one feels or should feel sorry for it; eliciting pity.
worn
Showing the effects of worry or anxiety
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  1. Showing the effects of worry or anxiety
  2. Showing the wearing effects of overwork, worry, or suffering:
  3. Affected or damaged by wear or use:
meager
Deficient in richness, fertility, or vigor; feeble:
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  1. Deficient in richness, fertility, or vigor; feeble:
  2. Having little flesh; lean.
  3. Of poor quality or small amount; not full or rich; inadequate
miserable
Bad; inferior; inadequate
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  1. Bad; inferior; inadequate
  2. Wretchedly inadequate:
  3. In a condition of misery; wretched, unhappy, suffering, etc.
wretched
Deeply distressed or unhappy; miserable; unfortunate
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  1. Deeply distressed or unhappy; miserable; unfortunate
  2. Of a poor or mean character; dismal:
  3. Poor in quality; very inferior
poverty-stricken
Characteristic of, or giving the appearance of, poverty
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  1. Characteristic of, or giving the appearance of, poverty
  2. Extremely poor:
  3. Stricken with poverty; very poor
scrubby
Stunted in growth; undersized or inferior
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  1. Stunted in growth; undersized or inferior
  2. Paltry, shabby, etc.
  3. Paltry or shabby:
seedy
(Chiefly British) Tired or sick; unwell.
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  1. (Chiefly British) Tired or sick; unwell.
  2. Containing many seeds
  3. Worn and shabby; unkempt:
down-at-the-heel
Alternative form of down at heel.
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  1. Alternative form of down at heel.
contemptible
(Obs.) Contemptuous
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  1. (Obs.) Contemptuous
  2. Deserving of contempt or scorn; worthless; despicable
low
Cut to show the wearer's neck and chest; décolleté:
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  1. Cut to show the wearer's neck and chest; décolleté:
  2. Below an average or a standard:
  3. Mean; despicable; contemptible
mean
Low in value, rank, or social status:
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  1. Low in value, rank, or social status:
  2. (Slang) Hard to cope with; difficult or troublesome:
  3. Ignoble; base:
paltry
Lacking in importance or worth.
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  1. Lacking in importance or worth.
  2. Marked by meanness or lack of generosity; contemptible:
  3. Very small or inadequate in amount; negligible:
sordid
Mercenary, avaricious, grasping, or meanly selfish
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  1. Mercenary, avaricious, grasping, or meanly selfish
  2. Dirty; filthy
  3. Base; ignoble; mean
unkind
Lacking kindness, sympathy, benevolence, gratitude, or similar; cruel, harsh or unjust; ungrateful. [From mid-14thC.]
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  1. Lacking kindness, sympathy, benevolence, gratitude, or similar; cruel, harsh or unjust; ungrateful. [From mid-14thC.]
  2. Not kind; contrary to nature or type; unnatural. [From 13thC.]
  3. Not sympathetic to or considerate of others
mercenary
Designating a soldier serving for pay in a foreign army
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  1. Designating a soldier serving for pay in a foreign army
  2. Motivated solely by a desire for monetary or material gain.
  3. Working or done for payment only; motivated by a desire for money or other gain; venal; greedy
miserly
Of, relating to, or characteristic of a miser; avaricious or penurious.
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  1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of a miser; avaricious or penurious.
  2. Like or characteristic of a miser; greedy and stingy
selfish
Holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making.
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  1. Holding one's self-interest as the standard for decision making.
  2. Showing or arising from an excessive concern with oneself and a lack of concern for others:
  3. Too much concerned with one's own welfare or interests and having little or no concern for others; self-centered
thoughtless
Marked by or showing lack of due thought or care; careless.
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  1. Marked by or showing lack of due thought or care; careless.
  2. Inconsiderate of the feelings of others:
  3. Not stopping to think; careless
stingy
Giving or spending reluctantly.
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  1. Giving or spending reluctantly.
  2. Stinging or capable of stinging
  3. Scanty or meager:
bedraggled
Being in a condition of deterioration; dilapidated:
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  1. Being in a condition of deterioration; dilapidated:
  2. Wet, drenched, or messy:
  3. Decaying, decrepit or dilapidated
broken-down
Not properly maintained; neglected
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  1. Not properly maintained; neglected
  2. No longer in working order
  3. Sick or worn out, as by old age or disease
decrepit
Weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use.
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  1. Weakened, worn out, impaired, or broken down by old age, illness, or hard use.
dilapidated
Having fallen into a state of disrepair or deterioration, especially through neglect
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  1. Having fallen into a state of disrepair or deterioration, especially through neglect
  2. Falling to pieces or into disrepair; broken down; shabby and neglected
dingy
Mentally deranged; crazy.
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  1. Mentally deranged; crazy.
  2. Dirty-colored; not bright or clean; grimy
  3. Shabby, drab, or squalid.
down-at-heel
Worn out from long use or neglect; dilapidated.
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  1. Worn out from long use or neglect; dilapidated.
  2. (Literally of footwear, hyphenated when used attributively) In poor condition, especially due to having worn heels; worn-out, shabby.
  3. Shabbily dressed because of poverty; seedy.
mangy
Affected with, caused by, or resembling mange.
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  1. Affected with, caused by, or resembling mange.
  2. Shabby or squalid:
  3. Shabby and filthy; sordid; squalid
rundown
Dirty and dilapidated:
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  1. Dirty and dilapidated:
  2. In poor physical condition; weak or exhausted.
  3. Unwound and not running:
scrubby
Covered with or consisting of scrub, or brushwood
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  1. Covered with or consisting of scrub, or brushwood
  2. Paltry, shabby, etc.
  3. Paltry or shabby:
scruffy
(Chiefly British) Scaly; scabby.
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  1. (Chiefly British) Scaly; scabby.
  2. Untidy in appearance
  3. Shabby, unkempt, or untidy; grubby
seedy
(Chiefly British) Tired or sick; unwell.
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  1. (Chiefly British) Tired or sick; unwell.
  2. Having tiny bubbles
  3. Worn and shabby; unkempt:
shoddy
Made of any cheap, inferior material
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  1. Made of any cheap, inferior material
  2. Rundown; shabby.
  3. Being of poor quality or construction
sleazy
Flimsy or thin in texture or substance; lacking firmness
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  1. Flimsy or thin in texture or substance; lacking firmness
  2. Dishonest or corrupt; disreputable:
  3. Shabby, dirty, and vulgar; tawdry:
tattered
Shabby or dilapidated.
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  1. Shabby or dilapidated.
  2. Dressed in tatters or rags; ragged
  3. Wearing torn and ragged clothes
tatty
(Brit.) Shabby, decrepit, or tawdry
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  1. (Brit.) Shabby, decrepit, or tawdry
  2. Somewhat worn, shabby, or dilapidated.
threadbare
Worn down so that the threads show; having the nap or surface fibers worn off
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  1. Worn down so that the threads show; having the nap or surface fibers worn off
  2. (Of a person) wearing clothes of threadbare material
  3. Wearing old, worn clothes; shabby
ratty
Full of rats
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  1. Full of rats
  2. Of or like a rat
  3. Dilapidated; shabby.
abhorrent
Disgusting, loathsome, or repellent.
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  1. Disgusting, loathsome, or repellent.
  2. Feeling repugnance or loathing.
  3. Causing disgust, hatred, etc.; detestable
abominable
Unequivocally detestable; loathsome:
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  1. Unequivocally detestable; loathsome:
  2. Nasty and disgusting; vile; loathsome
  3. Highly unpleasant; disagreeable; very bad
antipathetic
Opposed in nature or character; antagonistic:
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  1. Opposed in nature or character; antagonistic:
  2. Causing a feeling of antipathy; repugnant
  3. Opposed or antagonistic in character, tendency, etc.
contemptible
(Obs.) Contemptuous
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  1. (Obs.) Contemptuous
  2. Deserving of contempt or scorn; worthless; despicable
despicable
Deserving of contempt or scorn; vile.
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  1. Deserving of contempt or scorn; vile.
  2. Deserving to be despised; contemptible
detestable
That is or should be detested; hateful; execrable; odious
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  1. That is or should be detested; hateful; execrable; odious
  2. Inspiring or deserving abhorrence or scorn.
disgusting
Arousing disgust; repugnant.
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  1. Arousing disgust; repugnant.
  2. Causing disgust; repulsive; distasteful.
filthy
Vile; nasty:
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  1. Vile; nasty:
  2. Full of filth; disgustingly foul
  3. Covered or smeared with filth; disgustingly dirty.
foul
(Printing) Containing errors or marked with changes
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  1. (Printing) Containing errors or marked with changes
  2. Violating accepted standards or rules; dishonorable:
  3. Containing dirt, impurities, or other foreign matter;
infamous
Guilty of such a crime
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  1. Guilty of such a crime
  2. Causing or deserving a bad reputation; scandalous; outrageous
  3. (Law) Convicted of a crime, such as treason or felony, that carries a severe punishment. No longer in technical use.
loathsome
Causing loathing; disgusting; abhorrent; detestable
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  1. Causing loathing; disgusting; abhorrent; detestable
lousy
(Slang) Well supplied or oversupplied (with)
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  1. (Slang) Well supplied or oversupplied (with)
  2. Extremely contemptible; nasty:
  3. Sick or unwell:
low
Cut to show the wearer's neck and chest; décolleté:
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  1. Cut to show the wearer's neck and chest; décolleté:
  2. Below an average or a standard:
  3. Mean; despicable; contemptible
mean
Low in value, rank, or social status:
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  1. Low in value, rank, or social status:
  2. (Slang) Hard to cope with; difficult or troublesome:
  3. Ignoble; base:
nasty
Very dangerous, troublesome, grievous, etc.
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  1. Very dangerous, troublesome, grievous, etc.
  2. Disgusting or repellent:
  3. Mean; malicious; ill-humored
nefarious
Very wicked; villainous; iniquitous
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  1. Very wicked; villainous; iniquitous
  2. Infamous by way of being extremely wicked.
obnoxious
(Archaic) Deserving of or liable to censure.
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  1. (Archaic) Deserving of or liable to censure.
  2. Very annoying or objectionable; offensive or odious:
  3. (Archaic) Exposed or subject to harm, injury, or evil:
odious
Arousing or deserving hatred or strong dislike.
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  1. Arousing or deserving hatred or strong dislike.
  2. Extremely unpleasant; repulsive:
  3. Disgusting, disgraceful, hateful, vile, loathsome, scandalous. See also odium. Disgusting, disgraceful, hateful, vile, loathsome, scandalous. See also odium.
repugnant
Offering resistance; opposed; antagonistic
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  1. Offering resistance; opposed; antagonistic
  2. Arousing disgust or aversion; offensive or repulsive:
  3. Contradictory; inconsistent
rotten
(Slang) Very bad, unsatisfactory, nasty, etc.
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  1. (Slang) Very bad, unsatisfactory, nasty, etc.
  2. Morally corrupt or despicable:
  3. Soft or easily broken as because of decomposition; friable
vile
Cheap; worthless
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  1. Cheap; worthless
  2. Highly disagreeable or most inferior; very bad: a generalized term of disapproval
  3. Degrading; low; mean
wretched
Deeply distressed or unhappy; miserable; unfortunate
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  1. Deeply distressed or unhappy; miserable; unfortunate
  2. Poor in quality; very inferior
  3. Of a poor or mean character; dismal:
common
Belonging equally to or shared equally by two or more; joint:
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  1. Belonging equally to or shared equally by two or more; joint:
  2. Widespread; prevalent:
  3. Not distinguished by superior or noteworthy characteristics; average:
inferior
(Botany) Located below the perianth and other floral parts. Used of an ovary.
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  1. (Botany) Located below the perianth and other floral parts. Used of an ovary.
  2. Low or lower in order, degree, or rank:
  3. Low or lower in quality, value, or estimation:
low-grade
Alternative spelling of low-grade.
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  1. Alternative spelling of low-grade.
  2. Reduced in degree or intensity:
  3. Of little degree
mean
Expressing spite or malice:
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  1. Expressing spite or malice:
  2. Common or poor in appearance; shabby:
  3. Lacking in kindness; unkind:
mediocre
Of ordinary or undistinguished quality.
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  1. Of ordinary or undistinguished quality.
  2. Neither very good nor very bad; ordinary; average
second-class
Inferior, inadequate, etc.
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  1. Inferior, inadequate, etc.
  2. Inferior in quality or standing.
  3. Considered or treated as inferior in status, rights, or privileges in comparison with some others:
second-rate
Inferior; mediocre; inadequate
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  1. Inferior; mediocre; inadequate
  2. Of mediocre quality, not first class.
  3. Second in quality, rank, etc.; second-class
substandard
Of inferior quality; not meeting the minimum quality requirements.
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  1. Of inferior quality; not meeting the minimum quality requirements.
  2. Not in accord with notions of good English; nonstandard.
  3. (Linguistics) Of, relating to, or indicating a pattern of linguistic usage that does not conform to that of the prestige group in a speech community or to that of the standard language.
Find another word for shabby. In this page you can discover 100 synonyms, antonyms, idiomatic expressions, and related words for shabby, like: tacky, ragged, threadbare, faded, ill-dressed, dilapidated, decayed, deteriorated, the worse for wear, run down and broken-down.

Sentence Examples

  • Twelve dollars later I was let off at a shabby red brick building in a section of town where no tour busses stop.

  • Being frequently under the necessity of wearing shabby coats and dirty shirts, he became a confirmed sloven.

  • The buildings of the town are sombre, shabby and low, but built of stone; and the streets, though wide and shaded by acacias, are mostly unpaved.

  • In 1714 he set out to seek his fortune in Russia, and unsuccessfully solicited a place at the shabby court of the princess Sophia Charlotte, the consort of the tsarevich Alexius.

  • In person he was tall and rather thin; his dress was old-fashioned and singularly uniform, and was inclined to be shabby about the times when the precisely arranged visits of his tailor were due.

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Words that mention shabby in the Dictionary

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