frowzy

or frouz·y

[ frou-zee ]

/ ˈfraʊ zi /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR frowzy ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective, frowz·i·er, frowz·i·est.

dirty and untidy; slovenly.

ill-smelling; musty.

RELATED WORDS

dirty, unkempt, untidy, slatternly

Nearby words

Origin of frowzy

First recorded in 1675–85; origin uncertain

Related formsfrowz·i·ly, adverbfrowz·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for frowzy

She had pinned a cap in hot haste on her frowzy head of red hair, and was struggling to tie an apron as she opened the door.
The Strand Magazine, Volume VII, Issue 41, May, 1894|Various
By day the streets are a depression, with their frowzy doss-houses and their vapor-baths.
Modern Essays|John Macy
The frowzy woman with the bleached hair happened to come in at that moment; or had she been spying through a crack of the door?
The Dop Doctor|Clotilde Inez Mary Graves
No gentle blood in him, no hospitality, not even pleasant language, nor a good new oath in his frowzy pate!
Library Of The World's Best Literature, Ancient And Modern, Vol. 5|Various

Other short and frowzy alleys run against the soiled chalk, and end there with a whimsical abruptness.
The Dover Road|Charles G. Harper

British Dictionary definitions for frowzy

frowzy

frouzy or frowsy

/ (ˈfraʊzɪ) /

adjective frowzier, frowziest, frouzier, frouziest, frowsier or frowsiest

untidy or unkempt in appearance; shabby

ill-smelling; frowsty

Derived Formsfrowziness, frouziness or frowsiness, noun

Word Origin for frowzy

C17: of unknown origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for frowzy

frowzy

adj.

also frowsy, 1680s, possibly related to dialectal frowsty (q.v.).