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

That’s one of the lessons these Rams, especially the younger ones, can take away from this sloppy experience. —Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2024

In a sloppy game that included 21 penalties between the teams, the Bears got in the end zone just once — their only offensive touchdown of the first two weeks. —Chicago Tribune, 4 Nov. 2024

Up next was Parma’s visit to Turin, with the visitors – who were only promoted from Serie B in the summer – escaping with a 2-2 after yet more sloppy defending. —Adam Digby, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

But what surprises me is that the playing was a little sloppy back then, but the vocals were really tight. —Chris Willman, Variety, 31 Oct. 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