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slovenly

slovenly

5 6.9
Being messy and dirty in the way a person looks or acts
  • adjective
  • /ˈslʌvənli/
translation icon : desaliñado
  • 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

messy
vsslovenly
233 1.0

Not tidy or clean, with things in the wrong place

leans more toward personal dirtiness and careless habits than mere disorder
filthy
vsslovenly
183 1.5

Very dirty and covered with mud or dirt

means untidy and careless without implying extreme or offensive dirt
scruffy
vsslovenly
23 3.8

Messy and untidy in clothes or appearance

is broader, covering both dirty and careless personal habits
unkempt
vsslovenly
13 5.1

Not neat in appearance, often with messy hair or clothes

adds the idea of habitual carelessness rather than only poor grooming
raggedy
vsslovenly
  • Informal
12 4.0

Something that looks worn, torn, and messy

focuses more on dirt and careless grooming than on wear and tear
scuzzy
vsslovenly
  • Offensive
4 8.6

Dirty and unpleasant, like a place with sticky floors

refers only to untidy, dirty appearance and careless habits without moral judgment
scummy
vsslovenly
2 5.6

Covered with a thin dirty film on the surface

emphasises general messy or careless habits rather than specific filth
slutty
vsslovenly
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A room or place that is very messy and dirty

is the neutral description of untidiness and carelessness without archaic tone
slobby
vsslovenly
  • Informal
1 7.4

Messy and untidy in how a person or place looks

focuses similarly on untidiness but not only on habitual carelessness
scroungy
vsslovenly
  • UK
1 7.7

Dirty and untidy in appearance

is similar but highlights habitual carelessness in dress or habits
frowzy
vsslovenly
1 9.9

Being dirty and messy in appearance

is similar but can be used about occasional untidiness as well
slobbish
vsslovenly
  • Informal
8.1

Acting untidy and lazy, often leaving rooms and dishes messy

emphasises messy appearance without stressing laziness
matty
vsslovenly
8.2

Having hair or fabric that is messy and stuck together in clumps

stresses both dirtiness and careless habits beyond simple disorder
raggie
vsslovenly
  • UK
9.9

Having old torn clothes and looking untidy

covers general untidiness and dirty habits beyond just shabby clothes
uncleanly
vsslovenly
7.2

Living in a dirty, untidy way

includes occasional messiness as well as habitual dirty habits
trampy
vsslovenly
  • Offensive
8.6

Looking dirty and untidy like someone who lives on the streets

centres on personal dirtiness and careless habits, not social resemblance

Antonyms

144 1.0

Clean and tidy with things in order

55 2.4

Arranged in a tidy, organized way

16 6.2

Neat and stylish in the way a man dresses

How Neat

meticulous
58 8.6
neat
144 1.0
untidy
11 1.0
messy
233 1.0
slovenly
5 6.9

Surface Forms

slovenly positive

Morphology

slovenly = sloven (transparent) = sloven + ly

Formed by the noun 'sloven' plus the adjectival suffix '-ly', yielding the predictable meaning 'untidy' from the base.

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.