1
as in messy
lacking neatness in dress or person
a sloppy child who always seems to have spilled something on his clothes
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in chaotic
lacking in order, neatness, and often cleanliness
dumped the papers in a sloppy pile on the desk
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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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of sloppy
Enzo Fernandez was the only surprising non-starter, and the result of Maresca’s strong selection was a Chelsea performance that was both serious and sloppy.
—
Liam Twomey, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Driving Challenges tackle rock gardens, blind drop-offs, and water crossings where sloppy throttle work comes at a cost.
—Shelby Knick, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Thus far, the Wind Down delivers with its clean lines, deep cushions, and just-right balance of softness and structure that is far from sloppy—even with her young child is known to practice high dives and a somersaults or two.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2025
Photo of the day: The Bayou Bengals celebrate in Omaha
After winning a mesmerizing pitching duel in Saturday night’s College World Series opener, LSU took advantage of Coastal Carolina’s sloppy start and won, 5-3, on Sunday, to capture the eighth national championship in program history.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloppy
Liam Twomey, New York Times, 17 June 2025
Driving Challenges tackle rock gardens, blind drop-offs, and water crossings where sloppy throttle work comes at a cost.
—Shelby Knick, Forbes.com, 30 June 2025
Thus far, the Wind Down delivers with its clean lines, deep cushions, and just-right balance of softness and structure that is far from sloppy—even with her young child is known to practice high dives and a somersaults or two.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2025
Photo of the day: The Bayou Bengals celebrate in Omaha
After winning a mesmerizing pitching duel in Saturday night’s College World Series opener, LSU took advantage of Coastal Carolina’s sloppy start and won, 5-3, on Sunday, to capture the eighth national championship in program history.
—Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for sloppy
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sloppy
Adjective
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Doing the work of changing AI systems to respond to the White House executive order will be messy, said technologist Sahota, because where lines are drawn, and why, can initiate all sorts of political and cultural firestorms.—
Bobby Allyn,
NPR,
23 July 2025
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Bringing life and personality into your home is essential for the messy girl vibe.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 July 2025
Adjective
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Things got a little chaotic and dangerous when a rogue wheel momentarily became the star of a monster truck show.—
Amaris Encinas,
USA Today,
26 July 2025
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His lifestyle became chaotic and dangerous, riddled with violence and crime.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
Adjective
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The funny thing is, by all accounts, Zaslav is also genuinely sentimental about the network and said to even have it on at his office quite often.—
Christian Blauvelt,
IndieWire,
9 July 2025
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On July 7, Richardson, who played Julia McNamara in the series, was feeling sentimental and reflected on the cast's experience filming the six-season drama in an Instagram post.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
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The moment of truth arrived when Adams FaceTimed Phillips— initially confused and skeptical about her whereabouts.—
Ashley Vega,
People.com,
25 July 2025
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Ferguson said teammates are more confused than upset.—
Tim Graham,
New York Times,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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But just as she’s dragged back into the spotlight, her body begins to stage a quiet, sticky rebellion into a raw, absurd, and disturbingly relatable reckoning with art, womanhood, and the sheer chaos of being human.—
Matt Grobar,
Deadline,
21 July 2025
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Mercedes has this just about right, even with optional 22-inch AMG wheels shod with sticky high-performance Pirellis, as my test car was.—
Mark Ewing,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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The teams and drivers will face tough decisions about whether to use intermediate or wet tires for the start of the race.—
Nelson Espinal,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 July 2025
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The Humane Society suggests serving cats wet food over the summer to further increase their hydration.—
Sarah Moore,
Freep.com,
24 July 2025
Adjective
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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
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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
Cite this Entry
“Sloppy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sloppy. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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