as in sloppy
lacking neatness in dress or person
for the sake of their image, the band members transformed themselves from clean-cut lads to slovenly rockers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in sloppily
in a careless or unfashionable manner
an employee who went overboard on dress-down day and was reprimanded for dressing slovenly on the job
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of slovenly
Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023
In this era of slovenly journalism and educational malpractice, National Review Institute’s devotion to authentic history, reasoned debate, and insightful commentary is invaluable.
—Peter J. Travers, National Review, 30 Dec. 2023
Keith Richards’ and Ron Wood’s guitars are crisp and uncluttered, with most of the slovenly strumming of the past banished.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2023
Trump’s bizarre and slovenly behavior with classified material was a disgrace.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 21 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for slovenly
Adjective
Slough House is headed by the slovenly, flatulent, and frequently intoxicated Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), who routinely heaps verbal abuse on his staff.
—Ars Staff, Ars Technica, 29 Dec. 2023
In this era of slovenly journalism and educational malpractice, National Review Institute’s devotion to authentic history, reasoned debate, and insightful commentary is invaluable.
—Peter J. Travers, National Review, 30 Dec. 2023
Keith Richards’ and Ron Wood’s guitars are crisp and uncluttered, with most of the slovenly strumming of the past banished.
—David Browne, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2023
Trump’s bizarre and slovenly behavior with classified material was a disgrace.
—Isaac Chotiner, The New Yorker, 21 June 2023
See All Example Sentences for slovenly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slovenly
Adjective
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Had the veteran made sloppy errors or been at blame for any goals conceded, Farke would have been left with nowhere else to turn.—
Beren Cross,
New York Times,
7 Apr. 2025
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During Nebraska’s run, Cardenas endured an uncharacteristic sloppy spell, turning over the ball six times in the first half.—
Shaun Goodwin,
Idaho Statesman,
5 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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In the first, the sheepdog appears engulfed by a thick coat of long white fur, his face nearly obscured by the shaggy mass.—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
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With their thick, shaggy fur, the 5-month-old wolves are better adapted to the cold.—
Emily Mullin,
Wired News,
7 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Most wine lovers know that the word Sauvignon comes from the French word sauvage and the word blanc simply means white, but most people don’t know the reason is because when untrained vines of the variety have a distinctly unkempt appearance.—
Mike DeSimone and Jeff Jenssen,
Robb Report,
4 Nov. 2024
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But, as in these United States, the key question remains whether creeping totalitarianism — from the left and the right — will squeeze everyday people out of their inalienable right to just be their sometimes obnoxious, unkempt, idiosyncratic selves.—
Ed Wallace,
New York Daily News,
6 June 2024
Adjective
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Research published in Personal Relationships reflects this trend: Women often feel burdened by men’s untidy habits such as leaving messes.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
31 Mar. 2025
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Where Olive is messy, untidy, and unconcerned about the state of her apartment, Florence is obsessively clean, tidy, and obsessed with hygiene.—
Kay Johnson,
Twin Cities,
7 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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That will mean messy debates over taxes, benefits programs, the debt ceiling and other big-ticket items.—
Riley Beggin,
USA Today,
5 Apr. 2025
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Faithful readers asked me to suggest replacements that wouldn't take 50 years to reach a decent size or cause problems like invasive roots or messy litter.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Slovenly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slovenly. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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