1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
shabby wallpaper that was peeling from the walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tattered
worn or torn into or as if into rags
shabby, stained clothes that are barely better than rags
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shabby
Not too shabby for a fish camp cook.
—
Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Not too shabby for a guy who is close to free in many drafts right now.
—Jake Ciely, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Many of us long for the days of the old South Beach, with its neighborhood bakeries, languid pace, shabby but genuine character, and the retired people who loved the place.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Don’t let the term ‘first flat’ fool you—Diana’s early digs were anything but shabby.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Robert F. Moss, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Not too shabby for a guy who is close to free in many drafts right now.
—Jake Ciely, New York Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Many of us long for the days of the old South Beach, with its neighborhood bakeries, languid pace, shabby but genuine character, and the retired people who loved the place.
—Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2026
Don’t let the term ‘first flat’ fool you—Diana’s early digs were anything but shabby.
—Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shabby
Adjective
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Ross saved the Miami Open, moving it from a dilapidated Key Biscayne venue, and retrofitting Hard Rock Stadium’s grounds for it.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
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But these Brown and Black immigrants were usually segregated into dilapidated apartments in the region’s oldest housing stock.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Repairing the agency’s tattered credibility The CDC has long been the world’s pre-eminent public health agency.—
Helen Branswell,
STAT,
30 Mar. 2026
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But there’s a certain magic in the tattered, the torn, and the un-trashable gear in our closets.—
The Editors,
Outside,
18 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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When first performed at L.A. Opera a decade ago, the lavish production, co-produced with English National Opera, helped recover a neglected opera.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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His refusal to weaponize suffering is one of his most important — and most neglected— lessons.—
Ed Gaskin,
Boston Herald,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And then they have been amped up in a way that still maintains some of that raw sort of ragged edge.—
Joel Feder,
The Drive,
26 Mar. 2026
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Girlfriend runs on Ives’ ragged and muscular alto, which has the timbre of a lounge singer and the texture of kintsugi.—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Actress Letitia Wright attended a Prada event in a faded denim and leather jacket.—
Angela Velasquez,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Mar. 2026
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That fall, an old friend reached out to my father through the underground communications network, dialling a number printed on a faded piece of plastic Dymo tape and speaking to him from a public phone booth.—
Zayd Ayers Dohrn,
New Yorker,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shabby. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
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