sloppy

adjective

slop·​py ˈslä-pē How to pronounce sloppy (audio)
sloppier; sloppiest
1
a
: wet so as to spatter easily : slushy
a sloppy racetrack
b
: wet or smeared with or as if with something slopped over
2
: slovenly, careless
a sloppy dresser
did sloppy work
3
: disagreeably effusive
sloppy sentimentalism
sloppily adverb
sloppiness noun

Examples of sloppy in a Sentence

Your work has been very sloppy lately. a sloppy child who always seems to have spilled something on his clothes
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The first half was sloppy for both teams as the two totaled nine turnovers each. Nathan Canilao, The Mercury News, 1 Mar. 2025 Pacific Ridge survived a sloppy, nine-turnover third quarter, and still led by 10 heading into the final eight minutes. San Diego Union-Tribune, 27 Feb. 2025 Are they based on facts, or represent sloppy research, or are hype-driven, or maybe simply delusional? Gil Press, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025 The complaint filed by five labor unions and five nonprofit organizations is among multiple lawsuits pushing back on the administration's efforts to vastly shrink the federal workforce, which Trump has called bloated and sloppy. CBS News, 27 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for sloppy

Word History

First Known Use

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of sloppy was in 1672

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sloppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sloppy. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

sloppy

adjective
slop·​py ˈsläp-ē How to pronounce sloppy (audio)
sloppier; sloppiest
1
a
: wet so as to spatter easily : slushy
b
: wet with or as if with something slopped over
2
: slovenly, careless
a sloppy dresser
3
: overly sentimental
sloppily adverb
sloppiness
ˈsläp-ē-nəs
noun

More from Merriam-Webster on sloppy

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!