1
as in messy
lacking neatness in dress or person
a sloppy child who always seems to have spilled something on his clothes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
dumped the papers in a sloppy pile on the desk
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
a cinematic romance with a sloppy musical score that will have audiences reaching for their handkerchiefs
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sloppy
But that didn't explain why the sloppy fakes existed in the first place.
—
Padmakumar Nair, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
But for others, the typo resurgence could be clearing the way for the resuscitation of other, old-school symbols of sloppy writing.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The culprit there was the Knicks’ sloppy play to start Game 1.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Harrison Bader hit a grand slam that capped an eight-run eighth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the sloppy Athletics 10-1 on Sunday in 25-35 mph winds.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sloppy
Padmakumar Nair, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026
But for others, the typo resurgence could be clearing the way for the resuscitation of other, old-school symbols of sloppy writing.
—Michael Waters, The Atlantic, 21 May 2026
The culprit there was the Knicks’ sloppy play to start Game 1.
—Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 20 May 2026
Harrison Bader hit a grand slam that capped an eight-run eighth inning and the San Francisco Giants beat the sloppy Athletics 10-1 on Sunday in 25-35 mph winds.
—ABC News, 17 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for sloppy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sloppy
Adjective
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The counters were regularly wiped clean because of messy diaper changes and after meals.—
Jenny Hughes,
Parents,
28 May 2026
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Not to be confused with the front-engined V-12 series of 250s (Ferrari nomenclature can get messy), the 1963 Ferrari 250 LM was a mid-engined Prancing Horse made to enable Maranello to homologate its new GT racing car in the early 1960s.—
Will Sabel Courtney,
Robb Report,
28 May 2026
Adjective
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Twenty years ago, when things were a little bit less chaotic, history book sales were great.—
Sean Woods,
Rolling Stone,
25 May 2026
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Towns did dish out four assists in the first half of Game 1, but then only one more Tuesday night during the chaotic closing 29 minutes.—
Ian O'Connor,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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The performance also closed out the show, which was a star-studded, sentimental, and humorous send-off.—
Althea Legaspi,
Rolling Stone,
22 May 2026
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Such incidents serve as a stark reminder why storage facilities generally advise against storing valuable or sentimental items in a storage unit when possible.—
Kody Boye,
Miami Herald,
22 May 2026
Adjective
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And this is where the movie takes off from retro mythology to become its own slovenly mod thing.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
4 Mar. 2026
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To Washington, a beard made a man look unkempt and slovenly, masking the higher emotions that civility required.—
Maurizio Valsania,
The Conversation,
2 Oct. 2025
Adjective
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In video of the moment later posted on Tsirkin’s Instagram, she can be seen looking confused while standing on the White House grounds, as the gunshots can be heard going off in the background.—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
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And yet, Bass remains in the lead, and many voters remain confused about which way to turn away from her — if at all.—
Kevin Rector,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
Adjective
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The old bell sticky toffee pudding closes out on a rich, carmel-y high note.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
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This formula leaves behind an ever-so-slightly glowy slip that doesn’t feel sticky, oily, or leave residue on your clothes.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
25 May 2026
Adjective
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Participants with wet but non-wrinkled fingers required significantly more force to maintain the same hold; their hands were working harder to do less.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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Yellowing leaves can indicate overwatering, while wrinkled leaves can point to underwatering.—
Madeline Buiano,
Martha Stewart,
8 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And some of the best evidence of the lovebugs’ comeback came last week at the Turkey Lake Service Plaza on Florida’s Turnpike, where filthy, splattered cars and trucks queued up before the plaza’s automatic windshield washer.—
Martin E. Comas,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
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But a visually unappealing toilet seat could make an otherwise tidy bathroom look unexpectedly filthy—and there may really be more dirt and germs there than meet the eye, too.—
Louise Parks,
Martha Stewart,
25 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Sloppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sloppy. Accessed 30 May. 2026.
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