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
Cofnas penned an exposé last month that documented widespread plagiarism and shoddy scholarship in Arday’s work, a black professor hired by Cambridge University with much fanfare in 2023 to conduct research on race and social injustice. Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 21 Aug. 2026 Due to a shoddy defense, Washington is already down double figures in a multitude of contests. Brad Evans, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026 Her filing repeatedly and pointedly blames the Interior Department for providing her office with shoddy information. Kevin Breuninger,terri Cullen, CNBC, 31 July 2026 Who better to test drive high-performance sneakers than professional athletes who can’t afford to risk their stats (or ankles) on a shoddy product? Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 24 July 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 25 Aug. 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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