sloppy

adjective

slop·​py ˈslä-pē 

sloppier; sloppiest

1

a

: wet so as to spatter easily : slushy

a sloppy racetrack

b

: wet or smeared with or as if with something slopped over

2

: slovenly, careless

a sloppy dresser

did sloppy work

3

: disagreeably effusive

sloppy sentimentalism

sloppily

ˈslä-pə-lē 

adverb

sloppiness noun

Synonyms

• blowsy
• blowzy
• dowdy
• frowsy
• frowzy
• slobbish
• slobby
• sloven
• slovenly
• unkempt
• untidy

Examples of sloppy in a Sentence

Your work has been very sloppy lately.

a sloppy child who always seems to have spilled something on his clothes

Recent Examples on the Web

Had the veteran made sloppy errors or been at blame for any goals conceded, Farke would have been left with nowhere else to turn. —Beren Cross, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025

During Nebraska’s run, Cardenas endured an uncharacteristic sloppy spell, turning over the ball six times in the first half. —Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 5 Apr. 2025

The Grizzlies overcame a sloppy performance that included 18 turnovers by shooting an efficient 16 of 38 (42.1 percent) on threes. —Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2025

The rally came after a relatively sloppy game by the Mets. —Abbey Mastracco, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sloppy

• sloppy joe

Rhymes for sloppy

• choppy
• copy
• floppy
• poppy
• atopy
• photocopy

Kids Definition

sloppy

adjective

slop·​py ˈsläp-ē 

sloppier; sloppiest

1

a

: wet so as to spatter easily : slushy

b

: wet with or as if with something slopped over

2

: slovenly, careless

a sloppy dresser

3

: overly sentimental

sloppily

ˈsläp-ə-lē 

adverb

sloppiness

ˈsläp-ē-nəs

noun