VocabularyBasePractice words

Meaning & use

shoddy

adjective·Everydaydisapproving

Last updated

UK/ˈʃɒdi/
US/ˈʃɑːdi/
Usage warning: this word is disapproving. It shows a negative opinion, so take care with who and what you use it about.

Meanings

  1. adjectivecomparabledisapproving

    Badly made or done, with low quality and little care.

    Grammar: Gradable: 'shoddier', 'shoddiest'. Often used before nouns like 'work', 'goods', or 'service'.

    Patterns

    • shoddy work
    • shoddy goods
    • shoddy service
    • shoddy treatment

    The furniture was shoddy and fell apart after a month.

    He was criticized for the shoddy workmanship in the building.

    The company was accused of selling shoddy products to customers.

  2. adjectivecomparabledisapproving

    Unfair or unkind; not showing proper respect or care.

    Grammar: Used mainly before nouns like 'treatment' or 'excuse'.

    Patterns

    • shoddy treatment
    • shoddy excuse

    She received shoddy treatment from the airline when her flight was canceled.

    That's a shoddy excuse for arriving late again.

Word forms

comparativeshoddier
superlativeshoddiest

Common combinations

shoddy work
The report was full of shoddy work and errors.
shoddy goods
The market was known for selling shoddy goods.
shoddy service
We complained about the shoddy service at the restaurant.
shoddy treatment
He felt he had received shoddy treatment from his employer.
shoddy construction
The building collapsed because of shoddy construction.

Synonyms and how they differ

poor-quality
A neutral way to say something is not good; 'shoddy' adds a sense of carelessness or dishonesty.
inferior
Means lower in quality, often used in comparisons; 'shoddy' is more critical and suggests bad workmanship.
cheap
Can mean low price or low quality; 'shoddy' focuses only on the bad quality, not the price.
slipshod
Similar but often describes work done too quickly and carelessly; 'shoddy' is more general.

Opposites

qualitywell-madeexcellent

Word family

shoddily adverb
In a shoddy manner.
shoddiness noun
The quality of being shoddy.

Commonly confused: shoddy or shotty? shoddy or shady?

shoddy vs shotty

Not a standard word; sometimes a misspelling of 'shoddy' or a slang term for a shotgun.

shoddy vs shady

Means dishonest or suspicious, not badly made.

Practice

Which sentence uses 'shoddy' correctly?

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “shoddy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.

Explore more words