scrubby

[skruhb-ee]

See more synonyms for scrubby on Thesaurus.com

adjective, scrub·bi·er, scrub·bi·est.

low or stunted, as trees.
consisting of or covered with scrub, stunted trees, etc.
undersized or inferior, as animals.

wretched; shabby.

Origin of scrubby

First recorded in 1745–55; scrub² + -y¹

Related formsscrub·bi·ly, adverbscrub·bi·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for scrubby

bedraggled, broken-down, crummy, decayed, decaying, decrepit, deteriorated, dilapidated, dingy, disreputable, faded, mangy, moth-eaten, pitiful, poverty-stricken, ragged, ramshackle, ratty, rickety, run-down

Examples from the Web for scrubby

Contemporary Examples of scrubby

There is one scrubby little orange kitten who is arguably the luckiest creature on Earth.
‘Bones’ Creator Hart Hanson on Working with Michael Clarke Duncan
Hart Hanson
September 4, 2012
Why has so much attention been given to this tiny, miserable village and its scrubby little patch of land?
Susiya: A Human Rights Calamity
Kathleen Peratis
August 9, 2012

Historical Examples of scrubby

Country very dense and scrubby; no feed in any of the thickets.
Explorations in Australia
John Forrest
That scrubby menagerie had not gained in dignity from its transference to canvas walls.
Meadow Grass
Alice Brown
He gazed across the shimmering desert to a ridge of scrubby hills.
The Quantum Jump
Robert Wicks
When they do, they form small, scrubby trees that are of little value.
Seasoning of Wood
Joseph B. Wagner
The ground was very rocky, uneven, and full of holes and scrubby bushes.
Hunting the Lions
R.M. Ballantyne

British Dictionary definitions for scrubby

scrubby

adjective -bier or -biest

covered with or consisting of scrub
(of trees or vegetation) stunted in growth
British informal messy

Derived Formsscrubbiness, noun

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 scrubby

adj.

"stunted, inferior, shabby," 1590s; see scrub (n.) + -y (2). Meaning "covered with scrub" is from 1670s. Related: Scrubbiness.