1
as in messy
lacking neatness in dress or person
a sloppy child who always seems to have spilled something on his clothes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
dumped the papers in a sloppy pile on the desk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in sentimental
appealing to the emotions in an obvious and tiresome way
a cinematic romance with a sloppy musical score that will have audiences reaching for their handkerchiefs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of sloppy
Another birdie on the 14th got him back near the top of the leaderboard, but that was undone by a sloppy bogey on 15.
—
Troy Finnegan, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
In between the Adell homers, the Angels scored two runs with the help of some sloppy Mariners defense.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 8 June 2025
Crystal Skull is easily Spielberg’s laziest, sloppiest work — even the action sequences seem phoned-in — and it’s filled with unforgivable howlers: Shia LaBeouf’s limp attempt at being a bad boy, Cate Blanchett’s hammy villain, the goddamn fridge scene.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 20 June 2025
The Cardinals took full advantage of the sloppy inning, scoring five runs on the way to clobbering the Sox 12-2 in front of 16,974 at Rate Field.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloppy
Troy Finnegan, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 June 2025
In between the Adell homers, the Angels scored two runs with the help of some sloppy Mariners defense.
—Jeff Fletcher, Oc Register, 8 June 2025
Crystal Skull is easily Spielberg’s laziest, sloppiest work — even the action sequences seem phoned-in — and it’s filled with unforgivable howlers: Shia LaBeouf’s limp attempt at being a bad boy, Cate Blanchett’s hammy villain, the goddamn fridge scene.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 20 June 2025
The Cardinals took full advantage of the sloppy inning, scoring five runs on the way to clobbering the Sox 12-2 in front of 16,974 at Rate Field.
—Lamond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloppy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sloppy
Adjective
-
Food and Water Bowls This dishwasher safe food and water bowl set comes with a detachable, non-slip silicone mat for messy eaters.—
Kelsey Monstrola,
USA Today,
11 July 2025
-
The dramatic beats of Jessica and Felix’s messy courtship land effectively, and Stalter and Sharpe have strong chemistry.—
Alan Sepinwall,
Rolling Stone,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
In 1945, a rare Stradivarius violin was stolen from a Berlin bank during the chaotic end of World War II.—
Asia London Palomba,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 July 2025
-
The enforcement sparked a chaotic scene at the cannabis farms, the USA TODAY Network in California reported.—
Savannah Kuchar,
USA Today,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
The ‘pouf sentimental’ hairstyle was created by hairdresser Leonard Autie and debuted on the Duchesse de Chartres in 1774, famously adorned with 14 yards of gauze, figurines, a plate of cherries and a parrot.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
1 July 2025
-
That is my favorite now because of sentimental reasons.—
Heran Mamo,
Billboard,
25 June 2025
Adjective
-
The other near certainty in Lead Actor should be Gary Oldman, who anchors Slow Horses with a slovenly charisma that is, against all odds, deeply watchable.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
24 May 2025
-
Related Stories The movie O’Neil has put together out of this footage, which premiered last night at Cannes, is by any real-world standard a slovenly and undisciplined piece of work.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
19 May 2025
Adjective
-
Everyone was very confused about whether the watch’s band could be resized because only one kind of wrist was shown in the commercial.—
Seth Reiss,
New Yorker,
10 July 2025
-
The home appeared on Zillow Gone Wild, a Facebook page that highlights unique houses on the real estate market, and people were a little confused about the interior style.—
TJ Macias
July 10,
Miami Herald,
10 July 2025
Adjective
-
But negotiations typically address work conditions and other issues besides compensation and this year’s talks were expected to include one particularly sticky point.—
Keith M. Phaneuf,
Hartford Courant,
9 July 2025
-
Meteorologists previously used dew-point averages to calculate the start of the monsoon, a better reflection of when sticky, storm-ready air actually arrives.—
Hayleigh Evans,
AZCentral.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
-
Stay away from water, wet items, and metal objects.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
14 July 2025
-
The cyclist momentarily lost control of his motorcycle on wet pavement.—
Jon Rabiroff,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
Adjective
-
The Saja Boys are memorable creations of their own, an over-the-top collection of shaggy haircuts, dewy faces, and bright streetwear that instantly invokes the heartthrobs of BTS or Stray Kids.—
Wilson Chapman,
IndieWire,
11 July 2025
-
The researchers found that climate shifts that underwrote the spread of grasslands allowed big sloths to arise, the shaggy mammals then altering those habitats to maintain open spaces best suited to big bodies capable of moving long distances.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Sloppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sloppy. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share