Meaning & use

shabby

adjective·Everyday

Worn out, faded, or in poor condition because of age or heavy use; also, unfair or unkind treatment.

See it in a sentence

The old hotel's shabby carpets and peeling paint didn't match the price they charged.

He felt it was shabby of them to cancel the interview without any notice.

A note on using this word

Shabby describes physical wear, as in "shabby coat," and, informally, poor or unfair treatment, as in "a shabby way to treat a friend."

Words with a similar meaning

worntatteredunfair

Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.

Words with an opposite meaning

pristineneat

Make it your own

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