Synonyms of shoddy
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

shoddy

2 of 2

adjective

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

Examples of shoddy in a Sentence

Adjective They gave a shoddy performance. shoddy merchandise that soon fell to pieces
Recent Examples on the Web
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Adjective
America was shoddy caulk oozing from a vinyl arc in a historic heatwave. — Anna Kornbluh, ARTnews.com, 7 Oct. 2026 Kitchen, a 1998 graduate, described the university’s infrastructure as shoddy. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 7 Oct. 2026 The Yanks scored their only runs of Game 2 via two Ben Rice solo homers, while the Rays took advantage of shoddy Yankees defense and timely hitting to win, 5-2. — Ryan Morik Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 Nothing had been stolen, but someone made a shoddy effort to mimic a break-in. — Maya Singer, New York Times, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shoddy

Word History

Etymology

Noun

origin unknown

First Known Use

Noun

1832, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Adjective

1847, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of shoddy was in 1832

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shoddy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shoddy. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Kids Definition

shoddy

adjective
shod·​dy
ˈshäd-ē
shoddier; shoddiest
: poorly done or made
shoddy construction
shoddy furniture
shoddily
ˈshäd-ᵊl-ē
adverb
shoddiness
ˈshäd-ē-nəs
noun
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