crappy

American  

[krap-ee] / ˈkræp i /

adjective

Slang: Sometimes Vulgar.

crappier, crappiest

1. extremely bad, unpleasant, or inferior; lousy.

   crappy weather.

2. nasty, humiliating, insulting, or unfair.

   What a crappy thing to say about anyone!

3. cheaply made or done; shoddy.

   a crappy job.

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Usage

What does crappy mean? Crappy means lousy, unpleasant, nasty, inferior, or poorly made. Crappy is a slang word. It is the adjective form of the noun crap. Because the literal meaning of crap is excrement (poop), it is sometimes considered vulgar. Though crappy rarely refers to excrement, it is still sometimes considered a mild form of profanity (a mild curse word). Crappy is always used negatively to describe unpleasant things (like a bad day) or things that don’t meet expectations or are considered inferior (like a poorly made product).

Other Word Forms

• crappiness noun

Etymology

Origin of crappy

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; crap ¹ + -y ¹

Example Sentences

“Talking transparently, I did a crappy job as a leader,” Close said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 4, 2026

Those avocado green appliances, Formica countertops, and linoleum floors were just as crappy as they appear in those sitcom reruns.

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

A lot of factory jobs were frankly crappy.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 6, 2026

“The young kids go for the other stuff, the crappy sugary drinks. For us older people, we just do it out of convenience,” she said.

From Slate • Dec. 22, 2025

He’d bought insurance on a lot of truly crappy subprime mortgage bonds, created from loans made in 2005, but they were his credit default swaps.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis