slovenly
6
6.9
- adjective
- /ˈslʌvənli/
- She always looked slovenly on weekends, wearing wrinkled clothes and leaving her hair unkempt.
- a slovenly man
- slovenly habits
- slovenly manner
Examples
-
You were on your way to class when I called you over... ...and gave you a lecture on your slovenly appearance.
-
In contrast to the slovenly Collins, the Texas Rangers are fastidiously clean.
Academic text (2013) -
Come on, stop being so slovenly.
-
Hers seemed the slovenly figure of a woman who had lost her sense of shame.
Fiction book (1992) -
Let's inspect these slovenly soldiers of yours.
-
"There was something slovenly about the voice, as if she wouldn't take a cigarette from her mouth."
Fiction book (1992) -
On top of my slovenly appearance, I stank of ale.
Fiction book (1999) -
Behind the bar stands a slovenly barmaid, dark-haired and lazy.
Fiction book (1992) -
A slovenly, paunchy man in his mid-fifties, Ben Stockley looked like a stereotypical reporter.
Fiction book (1991) -
A scruffy ponytailed young man in slovenly jeans hurried down the aisle and onto the stage and checked plugs, wires, and outlets.
Fiction book (1997)
Synonyms
204
1.0
Not tidy or clean, with things in the wrong place
115
1.5
Very dirty and covered with mud or dirt
24
4.0
Something that looks worn, torn, and messy
23
3.8
Messy and untidy in clothes or appearance
12
5.1
Not neat in appearance, often with messy hair or clothes
4
8.6
Dirty and unpleasant, like a place with sticky floors
2
5.6
Covered with a thin dirty film on the surface
1
8.6
Looking dirty and untidy like someone who lives on the streets
1
9.9
Being dirty and messy in appearance
1
7.7
Dirty and untidy in appearance
1
9.9
A room or place that is very messy and dirty
1
7.4
Messy and untidy in how a person or place looks
1
7.2
Living in a dirty, untidy way
1
8.2
Having hair or fabric that is messy and stuck together in clumps
1
9.9
Having old torn clothes and looking untidy
1
8.1
Acting untidy and lazy, often leaving rooms and dishes messy
Antonyms
How Neat
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
Slovenly comes from the old noun sloven, which meant 'a lazy, untidy person' and is like an old Dutch word for 'lazy'. Like the similar word sloppy, slovenly describes someone or something that is messy, careless, or dirty.