1
as in dilapidated
showing signs of advanced wear and tear and neglect
shabby wallpaper that was peeling from the walls
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of shabby
These are the shabby, vertiginous streets that Nobel Laureate author Orhan Pamuk eulogized in The Museum of Innocence, set in the 1970s, and until very recently the district had scarcely changed at all.
—
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Not a shabby situation down there in Texas.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
The result is a compassionate, elegant, unsettling book about some extremely shabby people.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Homeowners may wonder why another large group — the many city and county residents who love Balboa Park — arguably benefited the most from the leverage Aguirre and Severson had on the city in their lawsuit exposing its shabby and legally dubious trash practices.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 June 2026
Not a shabby situation down there in Texas.
—Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 29 May 2026
The result is a compassionate, elegant, unsettling book about some extremely shabby people.
—Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 26 May 2026
Homeowners may wonder why another large group — the many city and county residents who love Balboa Park — arguably benefited the most from the leverage Aguirre and Severson had on the city in their lawsuit exposing its shabby and legally dubious trash practices.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for shabby
Recent Examples of Synonyms for shabby
Adjective
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Unable to pay rent, the boys moved several hours away to the small, dilapidated house with the leaky roof where rent is minimal.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
18 June 2026
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Buck Island offered to sell the dilapidated unit to Brown for $1,000, funded partially with her security deposit.—
Gretchen Morgenson,
NBC news,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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Their vibrant appendages become tattered and dull.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
16 June 2026
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Nichols organized a day where 26 volunteers came together to replace American tattered and torn flags with brand new ones, including David and Sue Hornbrook's torn flag.—
Charlie Lapastora,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Underdog startups and neglected divisions tell similar stories.—
Steve Denning,
Forbes.com,
13 May 2026
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Cinematographer Guillermo Garza shoots neglected settings like fine art, embracing the grime.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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Slugs and snails are some of the peskiest garden visitors that can riddle plant leaves with ragged holes or chew tender crops like lettuce down to nubs overnight.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
18 June 2026
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But the work was running him ragged.—
John Swansburg,
The Atlantic,
15 June 2026
Adjective
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Police say that the suspect's vehicle has a faded convertible top, no rear window, chrome-and-red European-style taillights and chrome rims.—
Dean Fioresi,
CBS News,
16 June 2026
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Next to a limp rack of sleeveless tops stands a postapocalyptic forager-warrior mannequin in jeans, a faded plaid shirt, and a black baseball cap from the plus-size-women’s brand Torrid.—
Caity Weaver,
The Atlantic,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shabby. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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