1
a
: a reclaimed wool from materials that are not felted that is of better quality and longer staple than mungo
b
: a fabric often of inferior quality manufactured wholly or partly from reclaimed wool
2
a
: inferior, imitative, or pretentious articles or matter
b
: pretentious vulgarity
shoddier; shoddiest
1
: made wholly or partly of shoddy
2
a
: cheaply imitative : vulgarly pretentious
shoddy merchandise
b
: hastily or poorly done : inferior
shoddy workmanship
c
: shabby, disreputable
shoddy business deals
Synonyms
Adjective
Examples of shoddy in a Sentence
Adjective
They gave a shoddy performance.
shoddy merchandise that soon fell to pieces
Recent Examples on the Web
Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 July 2018
Only traditional organic feeds such as the shoddy are allowed
—Craig Ballinger, Slate Magazine, 20 Mar. 2017
Lauren Peace, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Then in 2020, Saturday Night Live spent more than eight minutes mocking the airport in a musical extravaganza, calling out birds in the terminal, non-working electrical outlets, and shoddy baggage handling.
—Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Mar. 2024
The Cyber Safety Review Board’s report, a copy of which The Post obtained before its official release, takes aim at shoddy cybersecurity practices, lax corporate culture and a deliberate lack of transparency over what Microsoft knew about the origins of the breach.
—Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
In the entrancing but unsettling paradise of the villa—with its marble floors and grand staircases, shoddy electricity, and plentiful vats of wine—one of her father’s middle-aged friends began trying to seduce her.
—Leslie Jamison, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
The cooling systems didn't work, the sanitation was poor and trash collection shoddy, according to a list of complaints Coleman drafted at the time.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
That may be true, but the film’s practical effects are shoddy as well, which makes no sense given how superior the movies made immediately before and after this one are in that arena.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024
In a particularly amusing early sequence, Walt recounts his shoddy employment history to Mozell, whose face becomes increasingly disturbed with each revelation.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2024
Yet the response was as sublime as the initial effort was shoddy, with a nerveless Clark – having decided against taking a different angle from the penalty drop area to the left of the green – dropping his second attempt to within seven feet of the cup before rolling home.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
Noun
Recycled pop bottles are made into carpets and seat linings, and cotton shoddy—used to make blue jeans—is recycled and turned into sound insulation.
—Katherine Lagrave, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 July 2018
Only traditional organic feeds such as the shoddy are allowed
—Craig Ballinger, Slate Magazine, 20 Mar. 2017
Adjective
In a recovery landscape rife with shoddy facilities and prohibitive price tags, simplifying the path for patients stands to make a meaningful difference.
—Lauren Peace, CNN, 27 Mar. 2024
Then in 2020, Saturday Night Live spent more than eight minutes mocking the airport in a musical extravaganza, calling out birds in the terminal, non-working electrical outlets, and shoddy baggage handling.
—Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Mar. 2024
The Cyber Safety Review Board’s report, a copy of which The Post obtained before its official release, takes aim at shoddy cybersecurity practices, lax corporate culture and a deliberate lack of transparency over what Microsoft knew about the origins of the breach.
—Joseph Menn, Washington Post, 2 Apr. 2024
In the entrancing but unsettling paradise of the villa—with its marble floors and grand staircases, shoddy electricity, and plentiful vats of wine—one of her father’s middle-aged friends began trying to seduce her.
—Leslie Jamison, The New Yorker, 1 Apr. 2024
The cooling systems didn't work, the sanitation was poor and trash collection shoddy, according to a list of complaints Coleman drafted at the time.
—Taylor Seely, The Arizona Republic, 29 Mar. 2024
That may be true, but the film’s practical effects are shoddy as well, which makes no sense given how superior the movies made immediately before and after this one are in that arena.
—Katie Rife, EW.com, 28 Mar. 2024
In a particularly amusing early sequence, Walt recounts his shoddy employment history to Mozell, whose face becomes increasingly disturbed with each revelation.
—Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Mar. 2024
Yet the response was as sublime as the initial effort was shoddy, with a nerveless Clark – having decided against taking a different angle from the penalty drop area to the left of the green – dropping his second attempt to within seven feet of the cup before rolling home.
—Jack Bantock, CNN, 16 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'shoddy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near shoddy
Cite this Entry
“Shoddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoddy. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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