shabbier; shabbiest
1
: clothed with worn or seedy garments
a shabby hobo
2
a
: threadbare and faded from wear
a shabby sofa
b
: ill-kept : dilapidated
a shabby neighborhood
3
a
: mean, despicable, contemptible
must feel shabby … because of his compromises—
Nat Hentoff
Nat Hentoff
b
: ungenerous, unfair
laments the shabby way in which this country often treated a poet—Paul Engle
Paul Engle
c
: inferior in quality
shabby reasoning
Synonyms
Examples of shabby in a Sentence
The furniture was old and shabby.
He wore a shabby coat.
Her first apartment was pretty shabby.
They complained about the shabby treatment they received at the hotel.
Backing out of the deal was a shabby thing to do.
Recent Examples on the Web
Not shabby for a film whose initial grosses were considered disappointing.
—Tom Brueggemann, IndieWire, 19 Jan. 2025
Her box score stats don’t jump out like Watkins’ or Hidalgo’s — though 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds isn’t too shabby — but her presence on the court amplifies her teammates’ abilities.
—Chantel Jennings, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
The Matterhorn and Mont Blanc are not too shabby either.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Few disputed the decision, but the handling of Fonseca’s exit was shabby.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shabby 
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Tom Brueggemann, IndieWire, 19 Jan. 2025
Her box score stats don’t jump out like Watkins’ or Hidalgo’s — though 19.6 points and 9.8 rebounds isn’t too shabby — but her presence on the court amplifies her teammates’ abilities.
—Chantel Jennings, The Athletic, 9 Jan. 2025
The Matterhorn and Mont Blanc are not too shabby either.
—Larry Olmsted, Forbes, 7 Jan. 2025
Few disputed the decision, but the handling of Fonseca’s exit was shabby.
—James Horncastle, The Athletic, 30 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for shabby
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Dictionary Entries Near shabby
Cite this Entry
“Shabby.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shabby. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
shabby
adjective
shab·by
ˈshab-ē 
shabbier; shabbiest
1
: dressed in worn clothes
2
a
: worn and faded from wear
a shabby sofa
b
: ill kept : dilapidated
shabby houses
3
: not fair or generous
shabby treatment
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