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

Read's lawyers pointed repeatedly to sloppy policing, including leaving the scene unsecured for hours and not searching the house. —Rachel Treisman, NPR, 28 Mar. 2025

Naive and sloppy behavior by top Trump aides could have endangered US pilots. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 27 Mar. 2025

The Canucks managed to win despite an off night for Quinn Hughes and some sloppy defensive coverage in the neutral zone throughout the evening, but especially in the first period. —Thomas Drance, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025

Subsequently, a spy for the U.S. inside Vladimir Putin’s regime was extracted on fears Trump and his team were being sloppy with the nation’s secrets and could put the spook at risk. —Philip Elliott, Time, 26 Mar. 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