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

Their puck play was sloppy, their penalty kill was awful and they got consistently outworked by the Canadiens. —Matthew Fairburn, The Athletic, 18 Dec. 2024

Another failed sloppy takedown briefly put Covington on the ground. —Trent Reinsmith, Forbes, 15 Dec. 2024

On the other side, Baker Mayfield has been sloppy lately but the Bucs seem to play their best against better opponents. —Hank Gola, New York Daily News, 13 Dec. 2024

After a sloppy offensive start Tuesday, USC falling behind 10-6 midway through the first quarter while racking up six early turnovers, Gottlieb turned to a tempo-changing full-court press that has wreaked havoc for the Trojans (9-1 overall) through this early stretch. —Luca Evans, Orange County Register, 11 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing sloppy

• sloppy joe

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