jalopy
9
8.0
- noun
- /dʒəˈlɑːpi/
- Archaic
:
carcacha
- You saw lots of cars out front: jalopies, roadsters, coupes, and big touring cars with side curtains.
- an old jalopy
- a broken-down jalopy
- a beat-up jalopy
We get in our little jalopy, we ride over there, we show up and there's basically no one there except for the people that work there.
- We get in our little jalopy, we ride over there, we show up and there's basically no one there except for the people that work there.
Examples
-
Meanwhile, we were hauling stuff around in our old, beat-up jalopies.
-
No, it was like a beat-up little jalopy.
-
Take care of the old jalopy, would you?
-
Look at the jalopy I'm driving now.
-
Why drive a jalopy when you can have a hot rod?
Fiction book (1993) -
Where'd you get this old jalopy, anyway?
-
The reason we were glad to get a ride in Toney's jalopy was that the streetcars were so crowded, it would take forever to get to the Gardens, even though they were right at the edge of Butte.
Fiction book (1990) -
The old jalopy struggled to start each morning, leaving me frustrated.
-
Whenever it rains, I worry that my rusty jalopy won't make it to work.
-
My grandfather still drives his ancient jalopy, despite its many broken parts.
Synonyms
75
7.4
An old car that is often unreliable or in poor condition
43
7.0
An old car that does not work well and is in bad shape
4
6.1
An old car in bad condition that often breaks down
3
5.2
An old car that is worn out and often breaks down
1
9.9
A small, cheap car that often breaks down
An old car that often breaks down and does not work well
An old noisy car that often breaks down
An old car that often breaks down because it is not well looked after
An old car that often breaks down and is not reliable
How Reliable
52
1.0
- Archaic
9
8.0
Surface Forms
Etymology
The word jalopy probably comes from an older word jalop, which was used for a 'worn-out horse'. Think of an old car as a tired horse, and that image helps explain why jalopy means an old, unreliable car.