shabby
Meaning
-
- Of clothing, a place, etc.: unkempt and worn or otherwise in poor condition due to age or neglect; scruffy.
- Of a person: wearing ragged or very worn, and often dirty, clothing.
- Of a person, their behaviour, etc.: despicable, mean; also, not generous; stingy, tight-fisted.
- Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.
- Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.
- Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.
- Poor in quality; also, showing little effort or talent.
Synonyms
tumble-down
wornout
wrinkled-up
beaten-up
cheab
base Latin
Frequency
Hyphenated as
shab‧by
Pronounced as (IPA)
/ˈʃæbi/
Etymology
In summary
The adjective is derived from shab (“(obsolete except UK, dialectal) scaly skin disease; skin disease of sheep; crust forming over wound, scab”) + -y (suffix meaning ‘having the quality of’ forming adjectives). The verb is derived from the adjective. cognates * Dutch schabbig (“poor, needy, shabby”) * Middle High German schebic (modern German schäbig (“shabby”)) * Middle Low German schabbich (“miserable”) (modern Low German schabbig, schäbbig) * Scots shabby (“in poor health, ill”) * Swedish sjabbig (“shabby, mangy, scruffy”), skabbig (“scabby”)
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Notes