Meaning & use
not too shabby
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Meaning
phraseidiominformalhumorous
Quite good, often better than you expected; a relaxed, understated way of showing approval.
Grammar: Used alone or after be: That result is not too shabby.
Patterns
- something is not too shabby
- not too shabby for something
You built that shelf in an afternoon? Not too shabby!
Her first marathon time was not too shabby at all.
For a car that old, the mileage is not too shabby.
Common combinations
- not too shabby at all
- My sister's bake sale profit was not too shabby at all.
- not too shabby for a beginner
- That drawing is not too shabby for a beginner.
- Hey, not too shabby!
- Hey, not too shabby! You fixed the sink without any help.
- not too shabby, huh
- Seventy percent on the test, not too shabby, huh?
Synonyms and how they differ
- pretty good
- Pretty good is a direct, mild compliment, while not too shabby adds a playful hint of surprise.
- not bad
- Not bad is the plainer, more common version and carries less humor.
- decent
- Decent means acceptable or fair and sounds more measured than the cheerful not too shabby.
- impressive
- Impressive is stronger and sincere, whereas not too shabby deliberately plays down the praise.
Opposites
Word family
- shabby adjective
- worn out or in poor condition
- shabbily adverb
- in a worn or unfair way
- shabbiness noun
- the quality of being run-down or mean
Commonly confused: not too shabby or shabby chic?
not too shabby vs shabby chic
Shabby chic is a decorating style using worn furniture on purpose and has nothing to do with praise.
Practice
Your friend shows you her new apartment, which is bright and tidy for a low price. Which reaction praises it in a casual, understated way?
Choose one answer.
Not too shabby is the fixed idiom for mild praise. The other options change the wording, and the second would actually mean the place is run-down.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “not too shabby”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.